Camp Archstone: Facility for Troubled Youth
by Dani Navy
Summary: Bella doesn't care that Edward's gone; as long as she gets her high at night, and doesn't end up in a ditch by morning, she's golden. But Camp Archstone has other plans for her, and that's when Edward comes back. BELLA IS OOC.
1. Ripped Out

**Summary:** Edward leaves Bella, so Bella decides to leave herself. Nope, she doesn't fall into depression; she transforms herself into a wild child. With her new lifestyle changes, Bella is out of control, and not even the vampires she used to love can bring her back to her old self. Bella is one step closer to destroying her life, and there's only one option that can save her from herself.

But what happens when she doesn't want to be saved, and the hero waits too long in the shadows?

**Camp Archstone: Facility for Troubled Youth **

And that's never a good thing.

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**Chapter 1: Ripped Out**

**BPOV**

I didn't think Charlie had the guts- but fuck me, he sure had the balls.

While I dozed with my iPod fully blown into my ears, boxer shorts & sports bra on, two men fled my bedroom.

My body didn't have time to react. I was grabbed, had a bag thrown over my head, and then dragged by the arms out of the house.

Of course I kicked back, and swore loud enough for the neighbours that didn't exist to crack open the curtains. But apparently I wasn't loud enough for Charlie. He stayed inside the crappy house he hadn't left in "umpteen" years.

I always thought Charlie to be a coward. Tonight finally proved that.

As the two men struggled with my flailing limbs, I listened for any sign of life outside my own. But life in Forks was 'blah', and not even the owls had a nightlife. I didn't let the dullness of this small town ruin my life though, and that's why Charlie was shipping me off no to god only knows where.

I had a bad streak to me- exactly what the other guy who used to be in my life told me not to show. But I wasn't a rule follower. I drank, used, and ruined my life- all the while feeling like I was fixing it. Would I ever admit this to anyone else? Hell freakin' no.

As the two men shoved me into the car, and duck taped my wrists together, I couldn't help remembering how I had gotten myself into this predicament.

**-x-**

_**Two Weeks Earlier.**_

Jacob Black was my adrenaline buddy. He helped me find my fixes, trash my life, and at the end of the night, find a place for me to crash.

Crashing sucked, but it was apart of my new lifestyle. High highs ended with low lows. It was an unwritten law.

Jacob was a junkie too. Plus he was very strong, and it didn't bother him to carry me in every night- sometimes straight to the emergency room.

This Tuesday night was typical. Nurses recognized me when Jacob carried me through the empty ER, so did the doctors. They didn't give me pain killers after pumping my stomach; they had already wasted too many meds on me over the year. They let me feel the full on pain of taking too much of everything.

I had promised too many people I wouldn't be back here. But I was a liar. Everyone knew that. Especially Charlie.

Charlie typically still tried playing the caring father act. But after the twentieth time of the same frustrated father routine, it began to grow old. Instead of bailing me out of the ER, Charlie took the doctors advice and let me wallow in my self-pity, and fully take in the pain that was seeping through my body.

But they didn't know that the pain felt good- in a sick, sadistic sort of way. And as I took in the luxury of feeling such pain, I secretly enjoyed the private joke of pretending I was transforming into a newborn vampire.

I wasn't that lucky though.

**-x-**

_**Far Away In Alaska…**_

**APOV**

The flash came to me just like the others. I wasn't looking for it, but that didn't mean it couldn't find me.

It was the same shit, different day. I saw a pathetic, thin looking girl, shooting up heroin, drinking too much, speeding down highways, and then passing out in the back of a rusty truck cab. Later, that Jacob character carried her through her second home- the emergency room.

I opened my eyes when the vision was over. I felt sick. Sick because I used to know this girl in a past lifetime. Only now, she was a stranger. The girl I saw resembled nothing of the girl we left over a year ago.

I wiped the vision from my mind when someone entered my room. It was exactly the person I didn't need to see right now. He couldn't take seeing the girl he loved take another blow.

"I want to be alone right now Edward," I snapped, standing up and pointing towards the door he just walked through.

He ignored me of course, and walked to the back wall where he looked out through the glass.

I waited for him to speak. I didn't have to wait long.

"Why's she doing this?" he whispered.

I knew the she he was talking about. SHE was the only girl he ever talked about, or thought about, or ever even made an indent in his life. But saying her name still bruised him, so the family and I tiptoed around the "she who shall not be named" girl.

"Are we really going to do this?" I asked, flopping myself back down onto the pure white sofa, and flipping through a fashion magazine. Nothing caught my attention though. Fashion didn't interest me anymore- my dress up doll didn't exist anymore.

"You need to go back and check on her," he turned and glared at me when I shook my head.

"Been there, done that. I'm not doing that to her again. Plus, she doesn't even want to see us anymore. I can't blame her…" I trailed off when his eyes looked like they could fill to the brim with tears. But vampires didn't cry, so he held in his rage, and turned to stare back out the window.

I had seen her in person months ago. But it was like talking to a wall. She ignored my pleas to smarten up, she blew smoke in my face when I offered her some help to get clean, and she flipped me off when I told her she was out of control.

After a full day of following her around, she got fed up, and finally spoke.

"_This is what you left in Forks. Don't like it? Look the other way_."

The simple sentence sounded like so much nonsense, yet it spoke so much truth. We put her in the position she's in now. She knew too much about what life held, and the secrets that aren't secrets to her. We left her when she probably needed us the most- and that destroyed her.

Now she was beyond fixing. She was beyond comforting. She had forgotten why she even started acting out in the first place, and was now addicted to the life of a rebel. She was lost, and there was no return for her.

I accepted this. I knew her situation. I knew she was content with being a wild child for the rest of her existence. If she was happy with this, why bother interfering?

Edward couldn't grasp this. He hadn't seen her since he left Forks. He couldn't accept the fact that his girl was no longer the loving angel he left. She was the devil and she liked that about herself. He only saw the old girl he knew when he watched my visions of this stranger performing acts that nearly killed her every time.

Edward suddenly ripped the magazine I was flipping through from my hands, and threw it across my room. I glared at him.

"How can you pretend to sit here like you don't give a damn? You love her too Alice." He yelled.

I was used to his outbursts. Every other night, when he wasn't sinking deep into himself, he was blowing up. I was his target because I always forgave him.

"I don't though, Edward. I don't love that girl. I don't even know who that is. I loved Bella Swan. Bella Swan is dead. Get over it." I walked across the room and picked up the magazine he had thrown a minute ago. Ironically, it was flipped open to an ad about Prozac.

I sighed. Prozac wouldn't help her. She was too goddamn happy being this new girl. But fuck, Edward could benefit.

I looked up to stare at the eyes that I could feel burning in the side of my head, but only for a second did my eyes come into contact with his, and then he disappeared.

Where he was headed- that was beyond me. All I knew was that he hated hearing HER name, and I had hit below the belt tonight.

Like I cared. He wasn't the only one with a tough life. I just didn't choose to whine about it. Then again, I still had the love of my life by my side; his, in a way, ceased to exist.

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**Should I continue? Review and tell me what you think.**

**I have so many ideas for this**


	2. Nightmare

**Summary:**

**Bella is grabbed in the night by two men. She assumes it's Charlie's doing, and she knows where she is headed can't be good. As she is shoved into a car, she thinks about how it has come to Charlie shipping her off.**

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**Chapter 2: Nightmare**

**BPOV**

The two men ignored me.

I asked them where we were headed.

The car filled with silence.

I asked if we were headed out of state.

More silence.

I asked if they had orders to ignore me.

They answered with more silence.

I sighed.

The window was going to be my only partner in crime this fine night. It showed me a dark blue sky, with insanely bright stars, and waves of shiny dark clouds. Unfortunately, the moon was nowhere to be seen. It was having a night in- something I knew nothing about. If I were home right now, I'd be texting my buddies, planning the next hotbox session, or finding out who we could trust to score from.

Hopefully I could get back to that- sooner rather than later.

I laid my head back on the headrest, and even though I was strapped into an awkward position, sleep still found me. But sleep was being a bastard tonight- it decided to play a screening of disastrous reruns of what is my life.

Nightmares. I never did enjoy them.

**-x-**

_**Yesterday**_

It was a typical night at the park. Jacob brought the booze, I came high as a kite.

"Jesus Bella, you're fried." He pushed my hair out of my face and stared into my eyes.

I laughed. It was true.

"I know dude, isn't it awesome?" I stood up onto the picnic table and twirled around. Jacob ignored me though. He was having trouble doing his lines in the darkness of the night.

"I should've brought a flashlight," he laughed, fidgeting to get a line perfectly straight.

I pulled out my lighter to offer it to him, but it fell from my hands and landed somewhere in the grass below the picnic table.

"Ehh, fuck me!" I yelled, jumping off of the table and landing on my hands and knees. I laughed when I couldn't even stand up.

"Not now, I'm busy. Dude, do you mind if we make a quick stop off at the corner street. I'm out, and I know my dealer is hanging around there tonight." I didn't see him get up from the picnic table, but he was suddenly leaning over me, holding out his hand.

I shook my head no several times.

"No way am I going back there this month bud. I've got problems with those people." I let my back fall onto the cool grass, and I stared up at the sky. "You go, I'm fine here. I'm better than fine, I'm fantastical."

"Sweet. I'll see you later on, or whenever."

I didn't see him leave; I wasn't paying any attention to him. I felt too good to pay any attention to him. I felt too content to move. I felt light. It was great.

The stars in the sky were bigger than ever tonight. They spun around and around, and chased the trees that were off to the side. I tried to trace the dark clouds with my index finger, but the clouds were shy tonight, and they kept running from me.

"Stupid clouds," I whispered, "It's just me." I tried to stand up to get a better look at them, but when I turned over onto my stomach to kneel, the world shook me.

"Christ," I said lowly, shutting my eyes. But I still felt the head rush, and I gripped the grass tightly so I wouldn't fall onto my face.

I tried getting up again, but failure was the main event tonight.

"Fucking hell!" I yelled into the sky. I couldn't move. Every time I tried to get up, the sky put pressure on me to stay still, and the trees used their branches to taught me and pull me in every direction.

I knew I had over done it a bit. My high was coming to an end, and the low was pissing me off. And I knew I was losing it when I noticed I was no longer the only one in the park.

**EPOV**

Coming back to Forks was breaking my promise. It had been months since I left, but I had to see her for myself. As I watched her destruct in the dark park, I was trying to hold myself back from clobbering the boy who was with her. Eventually, I couldn't hold myself back. Watching her friend ditch her set me off, and I came out of hiding.

Alice's visions from the past couple months were dead on. This girl lying in the park, in the middle of the night, without a clue to what was going on, wasn't someone I knew.

Her hair was shorter, with a mess of highlights. Her body was thinner, and the only curves that existed were made up of bones.

I leaned over her to get a better look at what used to be…_Bella_.

My jaw tightened when my eyes stared into hers. Her chocolate brown orbs that I had fallen in love with were covered with dark dilated pupils. Her skin was grey, and had new scars from unknown accidents- hopefully accidents. The bags under her eyes were purple, and when she glared at me, I realized she looked so much like a vampire- except not as beautiful as I remembered.

I picked her up into my arms, and cradled her into my chest. She wasn't as fleshy and warm anymore, and her scent had zero appeal to me now.

She swore, which was something _MY_ Bella never did.

"I'm just taking you home. You're safe now." I whispered to her. I kept my head straight forward. I couldn't look into her face again. It made me feel so much anger- I had done this to her.

"Jeez I've out done it tonight Jacob." She groaned. Her legs kicked around, and she tried to squirm out of my arms. She thought I was Jacob. She didn't even recognize me.

"Please be still, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

She laughed.

Her laugh had changed too. It had a mocking tone to it, not like the one I was used to that was so full of life and joy.

"You sound just like _him_. He used to make promises like that too. Fucking bloodsucker…" She threw her head back and laughed again.

She was really gone tonight. She couldn't tell her hallucinations from the real thing.

"I really should thank him though." She sighed. "He opened my eyes to the reality of life. We're all standing in line, and when it's our turn, life fucks us over. You're like me Jacob; you've decided not to wait, and to get it over with already." She laid her head on my shoulder, and even though she wasn't the girl I fell in love with, being this close to her still made me feel _things_.

**BPOV**

Jacob came back for me in the park. But he was the typical prankster, and decided to come with a disguise. He was such a goofball like that. He liked pissing me off, and he knew acting like fucking Edward made me angry.

He did a good job too. I'm sure some of it was the crack, but he looked so real. His voice sounded the same, he was just as angry as when he left, and his skin was just as cold.

Looking at him made my skin crawl. I wanted to yell and scream at him. I wanted to punch him in the face for leaving me without a fucking decent reason. I didn't like being in such close proximity to him, it made me feel sick.

But it was just Jacob. And Jacob mixed with the hallucinations were tricking me. Thank god too. I know I couldn't handle seeing the real thing ever again.

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**Reviews are appreciated.**

**I like to know people are interested.**


	3. Yay, Camp

**Refresher:** Bella is taken in the night by two men. While she is in the car, she dreams about her past fuckups.

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Chapter 3: Yay. Camp.

_**Continuation **_

**APOV**

I knew what was coming for Bella the moment Charlie made up his mind. I also knew Edward would never allow it.

Good thing he wasn't around to read my visions.

But This is what needed to happen in order for Bella to survive. If she could survive through Camp Archstone, she could do anything. Who knows, maybe this place could bring back the old Bella.

**EPOV**

I came back to check on Bella again, even though I promised myself I would leave her alone after I took her home. But maybe if I had stayed in close proximately for a day or more, she wouldn't be missing.

I searched franticly through town, and waited for her to come home. But only Charlie walked through the Swan residence at the end of the work day, and after reading his mind, I couldn't hold back my rage.

I jumped out of what used to be Bella's bedroom, and ran through the forest. I was running faster than I had ever gone. Anger made my legs pump harder.

Bella was to be taken to Camp Archstone; a camp promising behaviour modification for troubled teens. It was known for it's wilderness therapy, and opening teenagers up in group sessions. It had weekly campouts, routine group workouts, and controversial type punishments- like a hotbox; not the kind Bella would know.

I knew this wasn't the place for her. She would break down in a prison camp like that- she simply wasn't strong enough to survive it.

I had to do something. I had to help her. But she was already gone, and headed straight into hell. Breaking her out was not an option- what would I do with a druggie who didn't want to be around me?

Another option came into view, and I would have smiled if my jaw wasn't so ridged and my eyebrows weren't furrowed.

Camp Archstone took in troubled youth. I could be their newest recruit.

**-x-**

_**Present Day**_

**BPOV**

When I woke up, the bag was back.

That wasn't a good thing.

I also heard plane engines outside the car- like RIGHT outside the car.

Again, that wasn't a good thing.

Car doors opened, and I was being unbuckled, and dragged towards the loud sound of the engine.

_I am NOT going out of state. No fucking way._

My wrists were still taped. My legs weren't. That was dumb of them. Last time I checked, we use our legs to run- and that's what I tried to do.

Key word, 'tried'.

I didn't even get loose from the two men. Their arms just tightened around me, and when I continued kicking my legs and swearing violently, they just picked me off the ground and carried me to the plane.

The men still weren't talking. They dropped me into what I can only assume was a cabin chair, and tightened the seatbelt around my waist.

I failed this part of the escape. I was going to the second location- this made me angry.

I wasn't going somewhere good, and I was leaving behind my friends, and my life. I was also leaving behind my most valuable possession stuffed in my sock drawer- something that just thinking about was making me twitch.

Charlie was a fucking asshole. I NEVER wanted to see him again.

_I hope I die on this plane._

I started to breathe really heavy, and the bag over my head wasn't helping with the oxygen.

I _did_ want to die. Dying right now would be hilarious. Charlie would feel so terrible.

I held my breath.

Could you commit suicide by holding your breath? I had never heard of it, but trying right now seemed like the perfect time.

_13, 14, 15…_I counted in my head. I could only hear my heartbeat. It sounded like it was begging for oxygen.

I just ignored it.

_21, 22, 23…_I threw my head back on the seat.

Passing out seemed like five seconds away, but I was too weak to hold off that long.

As much as I didn't want to, I took a breath.

_I'm a weak, pathetic prick._

**-x-**

_**Many, many hours later.**_

I survived the plane ride, to my dismay. I even survived the long car ride from the airport. But when the car finally hit rough road, the bag came off.

I looked around at the two men in the front seat. They were the same, but the surroundings of the car, and the outside of it, had changed.

I was now in a jeep, headed into very rugged terrain. The road was dirt, with many potholes, and on either sides of it were the tallest trees I had ever seen in my life. They didn't have an ending, and stretched out into the bright blue sky above them.

I sighed. I knew exactly what state owned such a landmark.

We were in Oregon- just one state below Washington. This brightened my spirits- I could practically see Forks from here.

Or maybe I was still high.

I grinned. Charlie didn't have the guts to send me far, far away, into some prison like program. But the grin slowly fell off my face when the jeep ducked under an old wooden sign with _Camp Archstone: Facility for Troubled Youth _carved into it.

"Fuck" I whispered to myself. Charlie did know how to fuck me over.

**-x-**

I stepped out of the car, and tried not to swear when the pine needles that were spread across the dirt ground drove into my bare feet. I took a good look around at the legendary camp that I had only heard rumours about. So far, it lived up to what I had heard.

The large wooden building was sitting at the top of the camp on a steep climb; with a wrap around deck that over looked the camp. This building must have been headquarters, or something important- it was the highest, and looked like the only building in the area that wasn't falling apart.

The only other buildings I saw were outdoor girls/guys bathrooms, which were nearly covered by the trees and moss, and other smaller sheds that probably held a bunch of junk. They seemed quite out of the way and in a really inconvenient location to be that useful.

The camp itself didn't have much to it, just a lot of trees and a lot of paths. I must only be in the beginnings of it.

No one was holding onto me. I looked behind me, and the two men were talking to another guy. To the left, the dirt road we had come down waved at me.

I sprinted towards it- or at least as fast as I could go with my wrists still taped.

Not fast enough.

Someone was on my tail, and they were gaining on me.

I knew it was over when huge hands grabbed the tops of my arms, and crushed me into a huge chest.

The man spun me around, but didn't look me in the eyes when I stared up at him. He had a couple days growth, short hair, and he was maybe in his thirties.

"There's nowhere to run," he dragged me back towards the camp.

Of course there was. There's ALWAYS a place to run to. It's like my motto.

"Don't I get a phone call?" I grinned, but he didn't laugh. Instead he shoved me to walk ahead of him.

_Crank._

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Okay, next chapter is gonna be a good one. This one was sort of just a filler to get some information out there.

**Review with questions, concerns, or anything….hahaa.**


	4. The Man Has a Name

**Refresher:** Bella is taken to _Camp Archstone_. She has already tried to flee on foot a couple times. She's already having slight cravings for her drug of choice- which is crack. As for Edward, he has a plan to join Bella at the camp.

**Important Note: **Vampires do not "sparkle" in this story. I just couldn't work it in.

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Chapter 4: The Man Has a Name

**BPOV**

The man with the three days growth seemed to take his job very seriously; and dragging me around camp must have been in his job description. I had been hoping he'd show me around the place before we got down to business, but he wasn't into playing the tour guide.

Instead, he dragged me up a rocky path, and up the stairs of the huge dark building I had originally called headquarters. But when he opened the door, and shoved me through it, I learned it was definitely the mess hall.

Inside the huge building were rows and rows of tables and chairs- and those chairs were filled with curious teenagers.

"Oh damn," I said lowly. I put my head down to avoid their stares. The man just dragged me past them to a hall at the back, and when I was shoved through a door on the left, I finally took a breath.

There were so many kids here. Like SO many. I guess I wasn't the only fuckup. Thank god. Amen.

"Hello Bella," a man's voice said. I looked up and noticed we were in an office- a very nice one too. It had a window, with a great view, and a desk in front of it. Behind the desk, a man with big eyebrows, receding hair, and a navy blue t-shirt sat staring at me.

I gave a nod to acknowledge him, but that was it.

This must be the man who ran this shit show; in other words, my new enemy.

"My name is Larry. I run this camp. You can take a seat here." He pointed to one of the seats in front of his desk.

I did- not because he told me to, but because my feet were sore from walking in bare feet.

"Do you know where you are Bella?" he leaned back in his chair and eyed me curiously.

I nodded. "Well, yeah. It's kinda like the Simpson's episode where Homer tells the kids they're going to Disney, but instead takes them to the dentist." I grinned, but he just stared at me. "Actually no, it's not at all like that. No one said two words to me. Charlie was too scared to lie to me. I mean, I would rather be at the dentist right now- believe me, Oregon is lame."

I heard the man behind me chuckle, but the man in front of me didn't. He actually glared both at me, and the other man.

"When someone asks you a question, only the answer is required. Nothing more, nothing less." He leaned over his desk and flipped open a file that was sitting in front of him. "But you didn't know that. We haven't discussed the rules of Camp Archstone- which is where you are right now, in case you didn't know."

"Mmmmh, yeah the sign at the camp entrance wasn't clear enough. Thanks for setting things straight. For a minute I actually did think I was on _Big Thunder Mountain _in Disney" I crossed my legs and watched him flip through pages of the file.

"Okay Bella, I know your kind-"

"Your kind? That's a bit racist…" I cut him off to get my joke out there. That was a bad idea.

He stared hard at me, and after a good minute or so, he closed the file.

"You know what, I don't think I'm ready to talk to you. It's solitary confinement for you. Then maybe we can have a normal, civilized conversation." He pointed towards the door for the man behind me to take me out.

"Pssh, normal civilized conversation? Takes two to tango, maybe you should get a box next to me. We can be the neighbours that hate each other." The man behind me grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me out of the chair.

Larry just sat all smug- probably trying not to laugh from my hilarious jokes no doubt. Or not, I'm not really sure.

I would have waved to him, but my wrists...well...you know by now.

The other man had me out of his office and back in the hall. That's when I made another run for it. I sprinted straight into the mess hall, and grinned when the rest of the kids yelled and cheered me on.

I only made it outside, and not even half way down the stairs before I was grabbed by the man again.

"Are you serious?" he asked, getting a good hold above my elbow, and towing me along the path.

"No, I just wanted to impress the other residents here. How badass did that look anyway?" I jokingly asked. I couldn't hold back a laugh either.

He didn't answer. He just dragged me towards what I thought were sheds until I put two and two together.

Those were solitary confinement buildings.

"What's your name? I don't remember you introducing yourself." I tried to drag my feet a little to slow him down, but he continued to pull me along without an answer. "Come on man, I can't refer to you as "the man". I need a name." I turned to look at him when we were in front of one of the confinements, and he actually scratched his head to consider it. "Please?"

He grabbed my arm, and opened the door to the small, very dark room. He shoved me into it, and before he shut the door, he told me his name.

"It's Guy." He shut the door, and my world went dark.

The room was extremely scary. It was small, black, and wooden all over. But as scary and lonely as it was, I still found the moment to laugh at such a ridiculous name.

"The man's name is Guy…" I said lowly to myself. "What a joke…" I was actually smiling.

Little did I know, I wouldn't be smiling for long.

**-x-**

There was one crack of light in the small confinement I was being held in. This crack, like my other crack back home, was my best friend. It told me when it was night and day, and it offered the tiniest bit of fresh air into the space.

It also helped me keep track of time. So far, I had seen the sun go down, and come up, and now it was down again.

I was hungry. I was tired. I was pissed. But worst of all, I was beginning to miss my other best friend from back home. No, not Jacob; my friend that was hidden in a sock drawer back in Forks.

Just thinking about getting high made me twitch. I couldn't keep still. My mouth was dry, and I could taste the numbing feeling in the back of my throat and along my tongue.

Usually when I craved the drugs, I took them. But seeing how I was locked in a box, without any dealer around, I probably was going to be stuck with the worst feeling in the world- the urge for something out of your reach.

_I can do this_ I thought to myself. Only a couple more hours at the most, and the sun should be up, and they'll come get me.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

I had to beg Carlisle to take me to Oregon. Right off the back he thought it was a terrible idea for me to keep watch on Bella, but he didn't know what he was talking about.

He did give in, and while he drove me along the rough roads towards the Camp, he tried one last time to convince me not to do it.

"Edward let her be. This Camp is very well known, and it can help her-"

"Enough Carlisle. You haven't seen the condition she's in. She can't take it." I stared out the window at the tall trees, and the blue sky. It was an extremely hot day, hotter than anything I had experienced in Forks.

Carlisle didn't respond. He knew I was dead set on joining Bella. I had to keep an eye on her, and make sure she was safe. It was the least I could do. I had put her here…

The car pulled up to the camp, and two men stood waiting for us. Even before I got out, the bigger one, with a bit of facial hair, walked away towards the boys/girls bathrooms. The other one, with a navy blue t-shirt, came over and opened my door for me.

"Hello Edward, I'm Larry. This is very unusual. We usually don't have the parent drop off the kid." He shook my hand, and I stepped out of the car. He seemed like an asshole. I didn't like his fake smile on his face.

"Yes well, I thought we were going to Disney. But no, I end up here. It's like that Simpson's episode, you know the one I'm talking about?" I grinned when his eyebrows furrowed. His smile was gone, and it seemed like I had hit a rough patch. Maybe you weren't allowed jokes around here.

"Hmm, I think I heard of it somewhere." He said blankly.

I wiped the grin off of my face. The atmosphere changed, and he wasn't into having a normal conversation.

I waited for him to talk.

"You'll hear all the rules of the camp, and learn what you'll be doing at orientation tonight."

I nodded. I didn't want to upset him anymore.

"But one rule you should know is to speak only when spoken to. Got it?"

"Yes sir, that shouldn't be too hard." I admitted.

"Well, don't assume so." He pointed towards a couple small sheds off the right of the camp, almost hidden by the trees. "Those are a few of our solitary confinement buildings. One is in use right now because that first rule proved too difficult for one resident."

I nodded. That was pretty pathetic. If you didn't want to get into trouble, don't talk. Some people seriously are just asking for attention around here. This place could be easy if you just followed the rules.

"That's the mess hall," he pointed towards the large building, high up on the camp. "You eat there with your group. You'll learn after orientation more about your group and what you'll be doing."

I nodded. Simple enough.

"One other rule though." He turned to look at me, "Notice you don't see any other residents out here with us?"

"Yes sir," I looked around. It was true. All the residents were either up in the mess hall, or off in the distance behind it.

"That's because it's a rule. No one is allowed down here. The only time you're allowed down here is on your first day, and your last day. The mess hall is the only building near the entrance anyone can get to." He said sternly.

I nodded again.

"Besides, Camp Archstone is huge. You haven't even seen anything yet. This is just the entrance, behind the mess hall is where everything happens. Any questions?" he wasn't paying attention to me though. I wasn't really paying attention to him either. Off in the distance, coming from the solitary confinement buildings, a huge ruckus was being made.

I turned to see what was going on, and when I did, Larry yelled down to the man by the building.

"You should let her out now. She's been in there nearly two days." He yelled.

My eyes bulged. Two days seemed extreme. I'm sure the girl didn't deserve that much of a detention.

"I'm sorry, but I do have a question," I kept my eyes on the man opening the hotbox door. He walked in and didn't come out for awhile. "Why is there a resident down here so close to the entrance, if it's a rule not to come down here?" I watched the man finally emerge, struggling to keep hold of a half naked girl; she wore boxers, a sports bra, and that was it.

My jaw nearly dropped when I recognized the swearing coming from her mouth. That wasn't just any wild girl; it was Bella. She tried to rip herself from the man, but he had a good hold on her arms, which looked to be taped in front of her.

"Well, there's always a few like her. Nothing we can't handle. She didn't even make it out of the entrance to the camp yet." He admitted, turning and walking towards the upper building.

I couldn't move. I watched as the man eventually gave up dragging her, and just picked Bella up and walked down a dirt path. Eventually, I couldn't see them anymore, but I could still hear her yelling. Something about a blue shirt? I tried to listen, but all I heard was muffled laughter.

Was that her laughing?

"Just ignore her Edward. I can tell already that your stay here will be fine. You have nothing in common with that wild child. Come along," he said.

I turned and walked with him up to the mess hall, even though I wanted to chase after Bella and tell her to smarten up and calm down.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

I couldn't breathe in the small building anymore. The heat was choking me, and the sweat pouring off my body was drowning me. I lied in my own puddle of sweat, and prayed for death to find me.

It didn't.

I started banging my feet on the walls. People were out there, they couldn't ignore me any longer.

"You should let her out now. She's been in there nearly two days." A mans voice yelled. I recognized it as belonging to Larry.

_Fucking right you're letting me out now._

I banged my feet harder on the walls, and finally, Guy opened the door.

The breeze alone made me gasp. It felt so amazing.

"Come on, you look like hell," Guy reached down and pulled up on my wrists to lift me off the floor. My legs buckled, and I fell hard onto the wooden floor.

"Fuck Guy, you weak ass," I groaned, kneeling and staring up at him.

He pulled me up by one of my arms, and yanked me out of the building. I knew we were headed away from the entrance of the camp, so I needed to make another break for it.

Guy had a good hold on me, and not even all the pulling and swearing in the world could get him off of me.

Eventually, he just picked me up and walked me along the path.

I wasn't sure where we were headed. But just as we were headed down a dirt path I saw Larry and another guy watching us.

I laughed at the sight of Larry. "Oh my god, he has the same blue shirt on." I yelled.

Guy didn't laugh like I did, but I'm sure he appreciated the laughter from my part instead of the swearing and squirming.

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Review on your thoughts.

**Next Chapter we will hopefully see some new faces and learn about the camp.**


	5. Everyone Has a Twin

**Refresher:** Bella is taken to Camp Archstone. She already has experienced an isolation box. Edward is now a resident at Camp Archstone, and has seen Bella from a distance. Bella doesn't know Edward is there, and isn't even thinking about him right now.

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Chapter 5: Everyone Has a Twin

**BPOV**

After being probed, searched, and searched some more, I was given a new outfit.

Cargo cut-offs, a white wife-beater, and ugly boots were not my style, and I would have normally laughed just looking at myself.

But I was feeling sick. Two days in a box, two hours of being searched and yelled at, and ten minutes sitting at a desk in an empty classroom did that. The headache didn't help either. And it intensified when the door opened, and Larry walked in with a group of teenagers behind him.

_Fuck_. I turned my head so I didn't have to look at all my twins entering the room; they looked just as ridiculous as me in their new fashions. All I heard were whispers and chairs moving behind and around me. I cursed at Guy for sitting me at the front of the classroom; it was much easier hiding in the background if you didn't have every person staring at you in the room.

I didn't look at anyone. I kept my head down on the table and didn't even lift it when Larry called attention to the front of the room.

**EPOV**

There _she_ was, sitting alone in the front row of the classroom. She looked okay, but that didn't mean anything. Bella was a pro at hiding her emotions, and pretending to be fine.

I took a seat in the back of the class, which most of the kids seemed to be doing as well. I didn't look at anyone; my eyes stayed fixed on Bella. She was alone in her row, and had her head dropped onto her desk.

Was she not feeling well, or did she not like being around these new faces?

Larry called attention to the front of the room.

"Everyone, we're going to be watching a very short documentary of this camp. All eyes on the board please," he pulled down the projector screen, sat down at the computer, and started the video.

People sitting around me started exercising their thoughts- and it wasn't about the movie.

_Who does that girl think she is? Too good to watch a lame documentary?_

_Awww, poor thing. Too tired to lift her head. P.s, no one cares!_

_We've all had tough lives honey. Get the fuck over yourself._

All these comments were from snotty girls. I ignored them, as I was trying to do with the boy's thoughts. Their's were a bit more inappropriate than the girls.

But the thoughts I was most worried about were coming from Larry- and he was getting angrier and angrier with Bella the longer she held her head down.

She really didn't care though. She knew she was supposed to be paying attention, yet she continued to ignore directions- that was so unlike her. The Bella I knew cared about what other people thought, and was a people pleaser. Just watching right now, I could tell, she wasn't the same girl.

Coming to this realization time and time again normally made me feel sad, but at this moment, I was feeling very nervous for Bella. Larry was planning on making an example out of her in front of the other kids in the class, and he was hoping for a reaction.

"Bella. Head off the table." He said sternly.

I was screaming at Bella on the inside. I desperately wanted her to obey him, and I relaxed a little when she lifted it up slightly to make eye contact with him.

"Pssh," she said. She put her arms on the desk, and then rested her head back into position like before. "Go fuck yourself," she said lowly.

I heard the full sentence perfectly, but my eyes widened when I noticed that I wasn't the only one.

Kids whispered to one another, clearly shocked. Not as shocked as Larry. His mind was fuming, but his intentions were clear.

The kids and I watched as he walked across the room, and out the door. People around me started laughing, and talking to one another, all the while Bella stayed perfectly still.

She was so dumb. I wanted to warn her she was in trouble, but I was frozen in place. I didn't want her to freak out seeing me, and besides, I couldn't prevent her from being disciplined anyway.

Larry came back into the room; he wasn't alone.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

From what it sounded like, I had done something wrong. People behind me were whispering and giggling after my freedom of speech; apparently I was the first person to test the waters. Next thing I heard were footsteps across the room, and the classroom door being opened and shut.

I assumed the king had left the building. That's when more chatter erupted behind me. I ignored it.

I was actually quite comfortable. In this position my head didn't hurt as much, and I was almost falling asleep. Maybe that's why I didn't remember hearing the classroom door re-open, and notice a few new bodies enter the room.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by each arm. I snapped my head up and had the instinct to rip away from the two unfamiliar men trying to pull me out of the classroom.

"Get off me!" I was on my feet being pulled towards the classroom door. I didn't want them taking me back to the hotbox, I couldn't handle another two days in there.

I managed to get one arm free, and I turned into one of the men to push myself away from him. But that's when the other man wrapped his arms around my torso and flung me onto his back. I kicked my way off of him, and landed on my side on the floor. Then they decided to gang up on me; one man grabbed my arms, the other my legs, and began to walk my kicking and swearing body out of the room.

The last few moments seemed to move in slow motion.

Larry gave me a smirk that made me thrash even harder against the men. I looked away from his ugly face, and just as I was leaving through the door, I made eye contact with someone that shouldn't be there.

The sight of Edward's eyes, probably just as wide as mine, made me go limp from shock; that's when the men got me fully out of the classroom and Larry shut the door.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

After watching the orientation video of this terrifying camp, my lips were trembling. I couldn't keep track of the million tiny rules, and thinking about doing camping trips gave me this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I felt foolish for acting the way I did with my mum, and then being sent here. I would give anything to take away my actions if it meant a one way ticket out of here.

But I had to face reality; I was scared shitless, I didn't know what to expect, and the next couple of weeks would be anything but a picnic. That wasn't the worst of it though.

I had a cabin with the crazy girl- this Bella person. I even shared a bunk with her.

She kept to herself the first night in, not even bothering to go to the woman's bathroom to wash up when the counsellors allowed us at bunk hours.

Bunk hours were the only time of day when we didn't have a schedule, and residents talked freely and didn't waste their time lying around- except for Bella. When everyone in our cabin were introducing themselves and telling their wildest stories, she laid on her top bunk, and stared at the ceiling.

She stayed like that the whole twenty minutes, and then Sharon, our head cabin counsellor, who was a short, thin frail woman, told us it was lights out.

We obeyed, as it was the rules to be in your own bunk when the lights went out. When Sharon finished "tucking us in", she left. But that didn't mean the chatter ended like it was supposed to.

"What's the matter with her? It's not like she's the only one with problems. We're all in the same boat, and we've all been shipwrecked. Moping around gets you shit all," said a girl from across the bunk. From what I could see in the dark, she was a thick girl, with brown hair braided into a tight braid. I was never really a fan of braids- especially on ugly people. She had a top bunk, and was flailing her feet over the edge, and peering over at Bella.

I stayed lying on my bottom bunk. I didn't want to cause trouble- I just wanted to get out quick. From what I learned today, residents chose their fate, and I wasn't going to be one of those teenagers who spent their life here.

A pair of bare feet were suddenly blocking my vision of the thick girl across from my bunk; those of which belonged to Bella. She jumped from the top bunk, and marched out of the cabin without a single glance at any of the girls watching her. After she slammed the door, I looked up to see four other jaws just as dropped as mine.

I laid my head back down on the mattress. We didn't have pillows, but a thin blanket was all I needed to cover my face and cry.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

_Utterly ridiculous. _Those two words were the perfect adjectives for this camp. It was NOTHING it was hyped up to be- the residents practically ran the show. From what I had seen so far, the counsellors and whatever those other men were, only acted tough. It was all a front; they used people like me to scare the rest into good behaviour.

"I feel like I'm at fucking Girl Guides," I sighed, trudging through paths along the forest line. I couldn't see our cabin anymore. But the girl's bathroom, and the back entrance of the mess hall, were in my vision as I made my way through the dark, without any idea as where I was going. But what caught my attention the moment I saw it was the huge lake- and its canoes.

"Unbelievable," I chuckled lowly to myself. This really was a Girl Guide camp, or a summer camp more like.

I picked up my pace, and sprinted along the dirt path towards the glistening water. My eyes were focused on the stacked canoes, and I ignored the little rocks and twigs being jammed in between my toes.

My spirits dropped when I reached the canoes, and noticed for the first time the chain and lock around them all.

"Fuck no!" I panicked and dropped to my knees. I tugged at the lock, and prayed that maybe my swearing and girlish, pointless tugs were the combination to unlocking it.

They weren't.

After thirty seconds of being dumb, I quit. I sat on the cool ground, and leaned my back on the canoes for the perfect angle to watch the stars.

They glistened, looking amazing and perfect. They were the opposite of me- maybe that's why I was so attracted to them.

But the stars suddenly didn't hold any interest for me. I had the feeling I was being watched, and when I cocked my head away from the night sky towards the forest ten yards away, a figure stepped out.

I knew I wouldn't have to wait long for a confrontation between the two of us. Plus it was a beautiful night- leave it to Edward to ruin it.

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Sorry for the late update. Hopefully it's getting better. My ideas for it are getting there. I can't wait for them to actually come along in the story- I just need to hurry up and get there.

*****Reviews are always read and loved****


	6. Fatty McFat

**Refresher: **Bella is at Camp Archstone. She is still acting out and trying to run away. After an incident in a classroom, she finally notices Edward at Camp Archstone.

Later on she is put into her cabin with five other girls, but doesn't bother getting to know them and runs off into the night- only to discover her escape plan isn't going to work. She gives up and stays down by the water, but that's when Edward shows up.

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Chapter 6: Fatty McFat

**BPOV**

He walked casually up to me, stood in front of me, and then he looked up at the sky to see what I was so looking at. His hands were in his cargo pockets, and when he stared down into my face, I shook my head at him.

"Un-fucking-believable" I stood up, and that's when the anger rushed from my head and spread all throughout my body. The way he stood there looking so innocent, like we were old friends reuniting, made me want to scream. Just looking at his face, which looked the same as always, pissed me off.

I was the only one who knew how to change in the year that he ditched me. I went from spineless, loser prick, to kick ass, stellar awesomeness. He was going to fuck it up. He hadn't changed. He looked the same, if you deducted the cargo shorts and beater, and he was here to change me back.

"I know you might be surprised…" he pulled his hands out from his pockets, and took a step closer to me. I shoved his chest away from me.

"I'm actually not. It's so like you!" I walked past him, but he grabbed my wrist and spun me around to face him.

"I promised to stay away from you, and I'm breaking that promise being here. But you broke your promise to me too- you're a wreck!" he held tightly onto the tops of my arms to keep me facing him.

"Like I care, Edward. What's done is done. You broke a promise, I broke a promise, let's call it even. Now get the fuck out of here."

"No."

I stopped trying to tug away from him, and I held in the rage that had formed from his answer.

"I'm sorry…what?" my voice was getting louder, and I seemed to be making him nervous because he kept looking around for camp workers.

"Bella, I want to make sure you're okay. I still care for you-"

"I'm not the same girl. I don't even think like her anymore. I found myself Edward, and you're here to take that away from me? I'm happy. Happy Edward! You being here is making that disappear. Do you get that?" I yelled into his face, and tried to rip myself from his grip but it only tightened, his arms crushing me into his chest.

"Don't you remember how it used to be? Don't you want that…?" he whispered into my hair. I continued to pull myself away from him, but he held me there for an answer.

I didn't love him anymore. I couldn't even remember why I had fallen for him in the first place. I was in love with my new life, and I knew if I went back to my old one, I would slowly fall back into the routine life of living my life for someone else, and depending on someone else. I had finally let Edward go, and now he was here to try and shove himself back into my heart. Little did he know, the heart he wanted didn't exist anymore. Besides, he only wanted me to change so I wouldn't end up killing myself, not so that we could be together.

"No. I don't want that," I finally ripped myself free from him when he loosened his grip, "I like not being with you. I like not belonging to someone. I like living a free life- no I LOVE being free."

His face was hard. His eyes were dark. "No, you're in love with drugs. They have you thinking different. Your mind is messed up. But that's okay, because you'll get better-"

I turned and walked towards the woods. Listening to him was exhausting. I _AM_ better. I can't get any better than I am _now_.

The trees were a couple feet from me, but that's when my feet left the ground and I was being carried quickly back up to my cabin. When I was set back down in front of it, I glared at Edward.

"The camp night crew are out. They're doing checkups on the cabins, you need to get back in there, and I need to get back to mine." He shoved me towards the door, and I gladly kept walking. Being around him was exhausting. I didn't look back at him when I opened the door, and slammed it.

"Ooh, sunshine's back." A girl in the top bunk said sarcastically. I kept my back to the door and looked up at her when she leaned over to glare at me.

"Yup, sunshine's back. Did you think it was your Atkins diet at the door?" I walked over to my bunk and jumped up onto it while girls tried to muffle their laughter. "Because dude, it looks like you haven't heard from it in a LONG time."

I was grinning, and when I looked up at her, she wasn't.

"I'm going to own you tomorrow," she laid her head back down, and the rest of the girls in the cabin "oohed and ahhed".

"You're going to eat me tomorrow?" I laughed. This girl was too easy to screw with. I laid my head down on the mattress, and covered myself with the thin blanket.

She didn't respond, so I dropped the chit chat. This camp was getting lame. But it was so much more fun screwing with fat residents than trying to ditch the one boy who ditched me first.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Bella actually stayed in her cabin for the rest of the night, so I didn't have to go wrestling her back into it every two seconds. I made it back to mine before counsellors noticed my absence, but the other five boys did. Luckily they snuck out a few times as well, so black mailing each other wasn't really an option because we were all in the same boat.

When wake up call came our group counsellor, Rick, came and got us to lead us to the mess hall. Apparently, from what I learned in the orientation, the first week with our group we were watched 24/7, and we were to stay with our cabin group day in and day out. The only time we mingled with other groups were during eating periods, and larger group work periods such as outings and talking circles.

Rick led us to the mess hall quickly, and the guys and I didn't say two words along the way because it was a rule; no talking unless you're spoken to or you're on your own time. But the mess hall was considered our own time, so when we entered the large building, tables were full of chatty teenagers.

I took a seat at our group table, and waited for breakfast to be served. The food was served cafeteria style; take what you want, but eat what you take, no exceptions. I felt relieved by this; I didn't feel like forcing down food that was going to be coming back up anyway.

The rest of my group got in line when breakfast was served, but I stayed sitting at the table. Instead, I looked around the cafeteria at the other teenagers.

A lot of people had an interest in me. Apparently I didn't look like the sort of person to come through here. I just ignored the stares from girls, and searched for the only eyes I wanted to see. But I couldn't find them; only because Bella's head was face down on a table, with her arms placed under her head.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

My group was so annoying. They wouldn't shut up today, when all I wanted to do was sleep. I couldn't even remember their names when they tried to force them down my throat, so I made up new ones that I could remember better.

The skinny, clumsy, red head with braces I call "Green Gables". The short Asian with black rimmed glasses I call "Calculus". The two girls who both have blonde hair, and look nothing alike, but seem to cling together, I refer to as "the twins". The fat one who apparently wants to eat me I named Karen. Lastly, the girl who looked like she's terrified, and needs a good cry I call "Bambi".

But I have yet to actually have a real conversation with any of the group members. That is until Karen decided to throw something at my head. It felt like a fruit of some sort.

"Is that the only position you know? The 'everyone feel sorry for me' position." She changed her voice into a high girly one, which was a nice change from her man voice.

I should have told her that. But my head was pounding, and I felt so lethargic. I usually got high first thing in the morning to get through the day. It felt weird to actually have to motivate myself without any help.

I lifted my head and smiled at her. "Yup. I'm just feeling pretty blah."

She glared at me, but continued eating her breakfast. I knew how to piss people off. Not getting involved, and playing clean made the enemy angry, and she looked it. I simply just watched her shove her full plate of food down her throat as the minutes ticked on, and that's when she couldn't take it.

"Quit cutting your eyes at my food. Just because you're anorexic doesn't mean you get the right to stay on your high horse." She said this all in between a bowl of cereal.

I sighed. "Everyone looks anorexic compared to you."

I didn't even have time to flinch. I barely had the words out of my mouth, and she had already thrown her large body across the table onto me. We both fell onto the floor, and she straddled me the moment my back smashed the wood floor.

The mess hall seemed to go up in flames then. All I heard and saw were crowds of people around us, cheering and swearing, as I tried to block her fat fists flying in every direction towards my body and face. I missed a couple, and by the time the camp workers pulled her off me, I had a bloody lip and a black eye.

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Not a very long chapter. I just wanted to update for Friday night/ Saturday morning. Hope u like it.

*****Review and I'll get an update in for Sunday*****


	7. Stake & Rope

**Refresher:** Bella is obviously at Camp Archstone with Edward, and is having trouble _not_ acting out. After ditching her cabin in the middle of the night, she is brought back by Edward. The next day she watches her group eat breakfast, and makes up nick names for them instead of learning their real names. Bella also decides to make a fat joke towards 'Karen', and that's when all hell breaks loose.

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Chapter 7: Stake and Rope

**EPOV**

I was a gentleman, and like all gentlemen knew, you were never to strike a lady.

But that resident straddling Bella wasn't acting like a lady, and that's why I was okay with having visions of her in a lot of pain.

I had jumped out of my seat, followed by other teenagers, the moment the fight broke out. The other girl had Bella pinned pretty well, and all Bella could do was block the fists flying at her from every direction.

But she wasn't blocking very well, and as I saw the girl's fist flying towards Bella's face, I lunged at human speed towards her- only to be grabbed by a camp worker.

I let the camp worker grab hold of me, and pull me away from the crowd. I knew I couldn't prevent myself from severely harming someone who hurt my Bella.

But I couldn't help turning my head to get a last glimpse of Bella.

Two camp counsellors had finally ripped the girl off of her, and towed her away along with a few other people who had gotten too into the mob mentality. I searched for Bella, and when I saw her angry face, full of bruises and a bloody lip, I could barely hold myself off from finding the girl responsible.

I stared anxiously at Bella from a distance, and when she made eye contact with me, I wanted to close the distance between us. But I knew that wasn't possible right now, so I simply watched her as I was dragged to the exit of the mess hall, and my heart ached for her when I heard her yelling at the man grabbing her.

"Why the fuck are you dragging me off!" she screamed, fighting back against a camp guard. He ignored her, and tugged her hard towards the door, which made Bella trip. The guard then simply dragged her by the wrists behind me.

I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "Let her up. You're hurting her!" I yelled. We were now outside on the deck, and my guard walked me down the stairs as I looked behind me and watched in horror as Bella was dragged down them on her back.

Her scream and swearing from the pain, and how the guard simply continued dragging her through the dirt set me off.

I shoved the guard off of me, and sprinted the ten feet towards where Bella was being ripped up even more, and I punched the guard in the face. Not hard, just one a human could take. And when he fell onto the ground, I lifted Bella quickly into my arms.

"Bella you'll be okay, I have you." I told her, but she had her eyes shut too tightly, and her swearing was getting louder. I held her a little less tightly; I might have been hurting her. I just didn't want to lose her from my grip.

I looked up from her face and noticed the guard I had punched was back on his feet, standing next to the guard I had shoved. They were shaking their heads, and the one with the black eye forming was talking into a radio for backup.

_Good. A black eye for a black eye._ But Bella's face and body had a lot more damage than his. That made me furious, and I instinctively pressed her harder into my chest.

"Fuck off. You need to let me down before you get us into any more trouble," she said lowly, tugging at my shirt.

I shook my head no, but she shoved my chest away from her body, and I had to let her down. She clearly was uncomfortable.

When I knew she had her footing on the ground, I let go of her waist.

"Is there something going on between the two of you…" Larry yelled from the deck of the mess hall. I turned around to look at him, but Bella stayed standing still with her arms crossed- after spitting some blood and saliva onto the ground.

"Yes, there is." I turned to point at the man who had dragged Bella down the stairs. "He assaulted Bella, and I merely had to intervene. I couldn't watch a man do that to a young girl."

The guard who dragged Bella, started yelling his side. "You know that girl is insane. I was just trying to get her from point A to point B. That's when he shoved Bob, and attacked me." He pointed to his black eye.

I pointed at Bella. "Look at her. You can see the damage you've done. She covered in bruises from you dragging her, not to mention the ones hidden under her clothes!"

Bella didn't look at me or anyone else. She was looking off in the distance, waiting for this to be over with.

Larry's voice was stern, but calm when he gave the two guards their orders. "Take Bella to the stake, like we had planned."

I looked over anxiously at Bella. Whatever a stake was, it didn't sound good. I was scared for her. But she simply stared off in the distance.

Larry walked down the stairs and stood in front of me. "I know you two are from the same town…did you know each other before you came here?"

Bella perked up suddenly. "Fuck no. We're not the same kind. I would never hang out with him." She turned to look me up and down. I agreed with her, and shook my head no to his question.

"Okay, well…" he turned his back to me, and walked over to the guards. I could still hear him though. "Take him too then. He acted out just like our Bella here." He turned to look at Bella, and the way his eyes traced over her made me want to tear his face off.

Bella suddenly bolted. She sprinted towards the woods, and I cringed as I knew it wasn't going to end well. She still thought she had a chance out of here.

The guards grabbed her within a hundred meters, and tackled her to the ground. They carried her off down a path until she was out of sight.

I took my eyes off the path Bella had just disappeared down, and turned to look at Larry. He was staring at me, and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I thought you weren't going to be much trouble Edward. I hope this is your only lapse in judgement. I suggest you stay away from her sort. She's nothing but trouble…" he walked past me, when another guard appeared on the deck to come take me to where Bella was going. "But we'll break her."

I glared at his back, but he didn't turn around to see my angry face. He simply walked up the stairs and gave instructions to the new guard to take me to the stake with Bella. Judging from the images in his mind, 'the stake' wasn't a picnic.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

I was attached by the ankle to a rope, and that rope was attached to a stake, and that was in the middle of what looked like nowhere. But I wasn't alone. Several other residents who decided to act out today were spread out around me.

I couldn't keep my eyes open. The pain was so much, and the sun was now directly over us. I could feel my skin burning to pieces, but that was nothing compared to the headache. I was feeling the worst withdrawal symptoms I have ever experienced.

But I had to ignore them. I wasn't addicted to a substance- not me. I simply was used to having it everyday in my life, and I could get used to not having it to get through severe pain.

Like right now.

I flipped over onto my stomach, and I could feel the dry dirt sticking to my shoulders and beater. I groaned, and opened my eyes to see if anyone else was in as severe pain as I was.

Edward locked eyes with me. He was sitting upright, and didn't seem bothered by the short rope attached to the stake. His eyes were very dark, but I knew it wasn't from thirst because there weren't any purple bags under his eyes. He looked at me anxiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked, edging over nearer to me so that he was on the edge of his rope.

I rolled my eyes at him. "What kind of question is that…?" I turned back over onto my back, and ignored his staring. He had been watching me since Karen had thrown all 565 pounds of herself onto me in the mess hall.

I looked to my left and saw fat Karen lying on her back like me, hands over her face. She was having a difficult time, and that pleased me. We had only been in the sun for 5 hours so far, and I knew this wasn't even the worst of it.

"Karen!" I yelled over to her. She didn't move her hands from her face. I yelled again. "Karen! Don't ignore your favourite bunk buddy…" she finally moved her hands away from her face, and she glared at me.

"My name is NOT Karen." She yelled over to me, and I laughed at her. Making fun of her made the pain of the sun and thinking about stuff lighter.

"Sure…" I sat up into a cross-legged position, and leaned back on my hands. "What is it then?"

She sat up to, and looked over at her neighbour on the other side of her. I didn't know who she was, but she looked like Karen- body mass wise.

"Karen how fat are you?" I asked. I laughed and looked over at Edward who was shaking his head for me to stop. "Would you say in the 200s? 300s?" I laughed when Edward rolled his eyes at me. He didn't want to get involved, but I knew he found it funny.

Karen suddenly blew up. I guess weight was an issue for her. "Do you want another re-enactment of the mess hall scene or what?" she screamed, jumping onto her feet and trying to rip her stake out of the ground. The guards, who were off near a cabin in the shade, noticed, and began to make their way slowly over towards us.

_Great. _"Okay Hulk, look what you've done now. Here come the guards."

She turned to look behind her, and sat back down on the ground when they came over.

I waved at Guy. I liked Guy. He wasn't much of a talker, but he wasn't an asshole like the other guards.

Guy had a stern look on his face, and I chuckled at myself when he didn't wave back. The other guard glared at me, and I rolled my eyes away from him to look into the sky.

"You guys seem to be struggling out here. I've never heard so much crying before." he grinned when I didn't laugh at his unfunny joke. "What about you Bella, I heard you're quite the hell raiser. Are you going to think twice now before you go and pick a fight with someone twice your size?"

THAT I laughed at. Twice my size? More like eight times my size. I didn't bother telling him that. I simply ignored him, and looked over at Edward. He looked unhappy about something.

"Just in case this punishment isn't punishment enough for you Bella…." He pulled a small Ziploc bag out of his pant pocket and waved it in the air.

My heart raced when I recognized the white substance in the clear bag. Even the possibility of it being my "best friend" captured my attention. My eyes were glued to the baggie as he walked up to me and waved it closer to my face.

The guard was testing me. He wanted me to launch at it, and show how weak I was. I knew his mind games. He wasn't going to give it to me; he just wanted me to beg for it so he could be the boss and decline. THAT wasn't going to happen.

"Ooh, no need to act all hard Bella. I know your case," he walked a few feet away from me, and for some reason, placed it on the ground. He looked at me through his good eye, and I glared back at him. I tried to ignore the baggie on the ground, but it had me twitching. "This must be killing you Bella." He laughed and stepped back over to Guy, leaving the baggie.

I stared at Guy and begged him with my eyes to get rid of it. He just looked at me apologetically and walked away with the black eyed guard.

**EPOV**

He was torturing her. No, he hadn't laid a hand on her, but putting the bag of cocaine right out of her reach was torture for her. Not that she was showing it.

I sat still and watched her try and ignore the bag. But I could tell it was the only thing on her mind. The way she rocked back on forth, and suddenly picked up the habit of biting her nails gave her away. She looked nervous, and the twitching and the sweating were not from the extreme heat.

Bella's bunkmate beside her was laughing internally, and it wasn't long before she started rubbing it in her face. "You're a druggie? Skinny Bella is a druggie! It all makes sense now!" She threw her head back and laughed.

Bella ignored her, and I glared at the girl. I could have easily ripped the rope and gotten Bella and I out of this mess. But Bella needed to conquer her skeleton in the closet. But it wasn't exactly in the closet anymore; it was front and center, and at any moment, Bella looked like she was going to snap.

**BPOV**

The sun was beginning to set, and the air was much cooler with the sun slightly behind the tree line. But no matter how much I kept my eyes on the sky, the ground…or Edward, my mind was on the thing sitting 7 feet in front of me.

I wasn't going to go for it. I knew the guards were watching. Plus, I wasn't going to be coming off as weak in front of Karen or Edward. I could handle myself. I could sit here completely still, without taking the crack and forming it into perfect lines….

_Shut up Bella. You can do this…fuck off for once. You're not an addict, you simply just have really strong withdrawal symptoms…only because you've never NOT been off drugs…because you're an addict! _I yelled at myself in my head. _No, you're not an addict. Shut up!_

"Bella you okay?" Edward asked lowly.

I turned my head in his direction, but I couldn't move my eyes from the baggie holding my fix.

"Bella, look at me." He said more anxiously.

I couldn't. I pulled my hands through my tangled hair that was falling out of the pony tail. I felt like yanking my hair out by the roots.

"Seriously, look at me!" he yelled.

I tore my eyes away from my existence, and looked into his dark eyes. My hands were still ripping my hair by the roots, and my teeth were tearing through my lip. I couldn't keep my eyes only on Edward. They were jumping all over the place.

"Bella you're fine. You need to breathe." He said lowly.

I looked away from him, and stared at the crack in front of me. There was no denying it now. I wanted it. I wanted it bad. I NEEDED it. I was in pain, and the way it made me feel….

"Don't do it-"

I lunged for it.

**EPOV**

I cringed when her body slid across the dirt towards the bag, probably giving her even more scrapes. But what did the most damage was the rope pulling her to a sudden halt not even a foot from her treasure.

"Fuck!" she cursed at the bag. She pulled on the rope, trying to get more slack, but she couldn't get any closer to the bag. No matter what angle she tried, it stayed where it was, and she wasn't going to get her high.

"Bella you can't reach it," I tried to calm her down, but she continued to claw at the ground in front of it.

"Yes I can…" she scratched and scratched at the ground until she finally figured out what Karen and I were thinking. "I can't reach it…" she fell on her back, and stared up at the sky.

**BPOV**

The sun was gone, but the sky still had a tint of blue to it along the edges of the tree line.

It was twilight.

Edward once told me this was the easiest time for vampires.

I looked over at him and closed my eyes when he looked apologetically into mine.

Lucky him. It seemed to be the hardest day for me. Trying to conquer a slight drug problem, and then failing miserably, wasn't how I wanted to end the day.

My head was pounding. Karen's laughter wasn't helping it. Edward's calming voice, not that I wanted to admit this, was helping.

"Great night eh?" he said.

I couldn't believe he was having small talk with me. It was so…so…nice.

"Sure is." I whispered. I still kept my eyes on the sky, and my breathing was finally slowing down. How did he do that? How was he so selfless, and caring, and…

He laughed. "I think the guards will be taking us back to our bunks soon."

I exhaled. He could hear their thoughts from here. He KNEW they would be taking us back to our bunks soon. This made me feel…better.

I sat up and looked over at him. "Damn, I was hoping we'd get to sleep outside. It's such a nice night out, and I've never slept under the stars…well…not when I was coherent." _Not when I wasn't passed out drunk, or higher than the Eiffel tower more like…_

He smiled. "Some other night I guess."

I nodded. That would be nice.

Karen gagged. "Do you two know each other? You're killing me over here with your lameness."

I didn't even acknowledge her. I didn't even look at her. I was done with Karen, or whatever her fucking name was.

Edward ignored her too. He just grinned at me and rolled his eyes. And when he did that I felt the slightest flutter in my hardened heart…and that terrified me. It felt like the old Bella was knocking on my soul, trying to get back in. I didn't want that.

I snapped my head back up to the sky, and hardened my face. He wasn't going to have any affect on me- especially not while I was in Camp Archstone.

**-x-**

**Tracy POV**

I flinched when the cabin door swung open and creaked loud enough to make the rest of the girls in their bunks curse.

"Welcome back ladies," someone from their bunk said to the two figures entering the cabin. It was Bella and Lila- except Lila insisted on being called by her last name, Logan. It did seem to suit her much, much better than such a feminine name.

"Thank you," Logan said, before being shushed by Sharon, our head cabin counsellor. Sharon left right after. I watched as Logan tried to jump up onto her top bunk in one swift motion, but it was all an epic fail. It took her several tries for her to get her fat ass up there.

Why on earth would she ever choose top bunk? Not that I would ever ask her that…I was too much of a spineless prick. But Bella wasn't, and she went for it.

"Should have opted for a bottom bunk eh?." She said. I held my breath to keep from laughing.

"Oh, is funny Bella back? Done crying to your boyfriend?" she mocked Bella's voice in a half ass way. Too my surprise, Bella nodded.

"Yup. I'm actually surprised you know what a boyfriend even is, considering you've never come into contact with the male species," she grinned when Logan glared at her. I actually smiled, and Bella noticed this when she looked down from Logan's glare at me. I instantly covered my face with my blanket. I didn't want to offend anyone.

"Whatever you say Bella…" Logan wasn't in the joking mood, "All I know is that you're not as strong as you pretend to be."

Bella laughed, and jumped up onto her bunk in one swift motion. "Hey Karen, who's bunked under you?"

Karen? Who the fuck was Karen? To my surprise, Logan answered her.

"If you're referring to me…" Logan began, "Brooke is on the bottom bunk. Why?"

"Oh, I'm just concerned for her safety. These bunk beds are old, and I wouldn't want to be on bottom bunk knowing the _Titanic_ could be crashing through at any moment." She told her. I held in my laughter again. Bella had balls.

I heard a mousy laugh come from Brooke, the redhead. I guess she found Bella funny too.

"Another question, which goes to anyone who isn't too scared to voice their opinion…" she began. _Not me. _"Where's 'Calculus' at? You know, the Asian girl? She doesn't bunk here, yet she eats with us?" Bella asked.

I hadn't even noticed, honestly. I was so preoccupied with keeping to myself; I hadn't noticed she didn't even sleep in the same cabin as us.

"She's not new, like us. She's been here for half a year." One of the girls from the other bunk said. I couldn't remember her name, nor did I care to hear it. "She just sits with us at lunch for punishment. But she'll be back with her lunch crew this week I think."

"Punishment for what?" Bella asked. "And what kind of punishment is that! I was sent to a hotbox AND tied to a stake. I would much rather eat with the newbie's than go back there again."

Tied to a stake? Put in a hotbox? That seemed harsh.

"She lied about some scars on her arm or something. I guess she's a cutter, and she had a little relapse. The counsellors made her eat with us newbie's for a week as punishment. It's diminishing to her reputation to associate with us. Her group won't let her forget it." The girl explained.

How the fuck did she know this? She was quite the chatterbox too.

"That's pretty fucking lame," Bella sighed.

"Will you shut up?" Logan said out of nowhere, "We need to sleep."

Bella sighed again. "Sorry Karen. Just one more thing I need to tell our friend Brooke, I promise." She said lowly. "Brooke? If you hear a creak or moan coming from the bunk, I'd abandon ship. It's not worth trying to have a good night sleep only to wake up with every bone in your body crushed."

Brooke laughed, but didn't say anything. Either did Logan. Bella seemed to be actually getting under her skin, and I liked that. Logan was the type of girl back home that bothered me, and it felt good to see that the universe was paying her back.

**BPOV**

Tonight was going better than this afternoon, to say the least. I didn't even want to think about what happened today, but as I laid back on my mattress after the girls stopped talking, Edward was on my mind.

He had been so nice to me today. While I tried to fight off my demons, he talked me through it…and that didn't even piss me off. I liked him comforting me. I liked the sound of his voice amongst all the hell running through my head.

I couldn't let that happen again though. He was part of who I used to be, and I wasn't allowing HER to come back. If I kept this up, I would slowly fall back into the routine of spineless Bella, and I would be back in love with Edward Cullen, living a life around a boy.

Remembering how it used to be seemed so distant and not even real. But it was true. I used to love Edward. I used to find him irresistible. But things change over time, and I changed for the better.

_Thank god,_ I thought to myself._ Now let's not go back._

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This was a longer chapter because you guys have been so nice with the reviews. I hope they keep coming! Lol.


	8. I Felt Bad

**Refresher of the last chapter:** Bella is sent to the stake after being beaten up by 'Karen'. Also at the stake is Karen, and of course Edward, who punched a guard in the face after watching Bella be dragged down a set of stairs. Bella's mind is tested when her drug of choice is placed out of her reach, and she can't get a grip of herself. Edward manages to calm her down, and this makes Bella feel thankful for Edward. Back in her cabin, she chats with her bunk group, and tells herself that she is not going to fall for Edward again.

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Chapter 8: I Felt Bad

**BPOV**

I watched my bunk buds chow down their breakfast instead of joining them. I hadn't had an appetite in three days; maybe it was a withdrawal thing. I wasn't the only one who noticed this.

Sharon, our 100-year-old nanny, was staring at me from across the room at the counsellors table. It only took her one whisper to her neighbour- and that neighbour happened to be Larry- for things to escalate.

**EPOV**

Bella looked better than yesterday. She must have had a good night sleep. The bags under her eyes were less puffy, and being off the drugs for a couple days seemed to be doing good for her body. Already her color looked better and she seemed to have more energy. My old Bella was slowly returning. I just had to make sure I didn't let Bella know that.

But as I stared at her, in between pretending to eat my own plate of food, I noticed she hadn't even bothered to grab any at all. This would be fine, if she hadn't done this yesterday as well. In fact, I hadn't seen her eat at all since I had been in camp.

Apparently her counsellor hadn't either, and she decided to let Larry in on that little fact. Larry stood up from his chair and walked over to where Bella was sitting with her crew. He was going to confront her, and that wasn't a good thing. In fact, anything with Larry and Bella having to interact was never a good thing.

"Who are you staring at?" Landon, a hardcore druggie said next to me.

"Don't worry about it," I said coldly to him. Landon, from what I heard, wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. But I could look just as scary as him when I wanted to, and the thought of anyone intimidating me was pathetic.

"Chill out, just trying to make conversation…" he took a sip of his orange juice.

"I'm not the only one at this table," I said through clenched teeth. I ignored him saying something about the other guys being losers, and watched as Larry stood at the head of Bella's table, and motioned for her to stand up.

**BPOV**

I stood up and walked to stand in front of Mr. Dirty shirt. Yes, he was wearing his favourite navy t-shirt. Did he not own more than one shirt? Did he like looking dirty?

"Bella why aren't you eating?" he crossed his arms and stared at me.

'_Cause I'm not hungry. _"'Cause I'm anorexic." I lied.

"No you're not. Are you purposely trying to get under our skin?"

_No, I'm just seriously not hungry. _"Yes, I love our talks." I lied again.

He caught on to my pointless lies.

I watched as he cut into the food line, and slopped a bunch of unknown food onto a beige plate, and walked back in front of me.

He handed me the full plate. "It's breakfast, and you'll eat this. I'm tired of you breaking the rules."

"I'm not breaking the rules. It's 'take what you like, but eat what you take'. I didn't take anything, so I didn't eat anything. Problem solved." I offered the plate back to him, but he only crossed his arms.

"Nope. It's 'clear your plate'. That plate is now yours…now clear it."

I stared into his eyes as he planted a smile on his face that told me he thought he had won this little match. I had other plans.

I threw the plate at him, and it's contents spilled all over poor Larry's favourite shirt and ugly pants. The plastic plate dropped to the ground with a loud thud, but didn't break.

"Done. It looks to me like it's quite cleared." I looked down at the plate and laughed when everyone else in the mess hall did at my comment.

**EPOV**

She was such an idiot for doing that. It wasn't brave, it was plain stupid. I thought I had found my old Bella yesterday during her breakdown, but today, she didn't even exist. That saddened me.

**Landon's POV**

Christ this girl was so hot.

The way she was always getting into trouble and not giving the counsellors and guards a break was fucking INSANE- in the best kind of way.

I couldn't help but cheer her on with the rest of my table as Larry called a guard to take her outside away from the mess hall. Well, everyone except this Edward guy was cheering. Actually, he seemed sort of ticked off…

I turned to look at him. "How fucking hot is she?" I yelled over the cheering to him.

He glared at me.

I dropped the conversation- or lack there of.

**BPOV**

"Guy, am I going to an isolation box?" I asked him. He dragged me away from the mess hall, but when we were out of sight from it, he let me go.

"Just follow me, and don't run away…" he rolled his eyes at me when I grinned. But I wouldn't do that to Guy. I liked Guy. I had already put him through enough, and he seemed to be on my side.

I walked beside him along a dirt path towards the lake, and wondered what my punishment would be today.

"We're going to be carrying these canoes down to the docks, and tying them up." He said.

I blinked.

That was it? That was all Larry had coming for me? What a spineless bastard…

I couldn't help laughing.

"I wouldn't be laughing, they're quite heavy, and it should take us until lunch." He turned to give me a stern look.

I held up my hands. "No, I'm not saying it won't be hard," I admitted, "It just seems like a walk in the park compared to what he's done to me."

He nodded. "I guess that's true. But one word of advice for you Bella," he unlocked the canoes with a set of keys from his cargo shorts pocket, "Larry never forgets what's been done. _Ever_." He emphasized the last word.

I gulped. Maybe I had something coming for me after all.

**EPOV**

I was dreading the talking circle the moment I learned about it on orientation day. But the moment I found out we would be doing it with Bella's group, I was all for it.

The talking circle was held outside today, down by the lake. It wasn't actually a circle, but a square made out of fallen tree boughs made into rickety benches. My group was the first to arrive, so we sat down while Rick, our counsellor, stood and watched over us.

The boys chatted while we waited for the girls to get here. I ignored them, and watched Bella off in the distance. She was lifting canoes along with a guard who had dark short hair, and a few days growth on his face. He was having difficulty lifting them along the path and down to the docks; I could only imagine what Bella was going through.

Her group came out of a path from the woods, headed towards us.

"Okay Bella, you can go join your group over there," Guy, the guard, nodded in my direction. Bella locked eyes with me, and sighed.

"'Kay." She said lowly, and she began walking slowly towards us.

Some of the girls had already made it to the "circle", and were taking their seats while Sharon, their head counsellor, told them to sit down and be quiet.

I kept my hand on a spot next to me for Bella. _If she would just hurry up before- _I saw the bigger girl- from the mess hall incident- coming towards me, and I looked anxiously at Bella, who had picked up her pace over to the circle.

**BPOV**

I didn't want to sit next to Edward, but when I saw Karen walking towards him, I changed my mind.

My legs picked up the pace, and I made it to the circle at the same time Karen did- but she was standing in front of my seat while Edward was...talking to her?

That was my seat; Edward was saving it for me, so I quickly squeezed in between fat Karen and sat down right beside him and some other dude.

Karen swore at me.

"Thanks Edward, real nice of you to save me a spot," I grinned at Karen, and pointed to a seat on the opposite side of the circle, "There's a spot over there next to Green Gables."

That's when she snapped.

I closed my eyes when I saw her fist coming for my face, but I didn't feel anything. I only heard her swearing, and Sharon telling Lila to find a seat. I opened my eyes and saw that Edward had grabbed her arm before she could do any damage.

Karen ripped her arm out of Edward's hand and obeyed Sharon. When she found her seat on the other side of the circle, across from us, I waved at her.

**EPOV**

Logan had asked me if the seat beside me was taken, and just as I was about to tell her I was saving it for a friend, Bella ran in and snatched it. _Thank God._

But Logan didn't like that, and she didn't like Bella, so she made an attempt to do some damage on Bella's beautiful face.

I wasn't going to allow that.

I grabbed her thick arm before she could get even an inch closer to her, and that was enough for Logan to rip away from me in a fury and sit on the opposite side of the circle. It didn't help that she had a little crush on me, and it didn't help when Bella rubbed it in and waved across the circle to her.

Bella sure knew how to draw attention to herself. Her little spat just now between this Logan girl had the male minds in a frenzy.

_What a fire cracker! What's her name anyway…something with a B…_

_So hope there's partner activities today, I'm totally rushing her._

_She can kick my ass any day._

I ran my hands through my hair to avoid reaching out and straggling any of these pathetic boys who had any thoughts of Bella entering their mind.

Bella was oblivious to the attention she drew to herself. Making a scene by sitting next to me didn't bother her, and that was fine by me. As long as Bella was by my side, or at an arms distance, I could relax the slightest bit.

But I'm not saying I'm comfortable with Bella staying in this Camp. These are not her kind of people, and this camp could never fit her needs. I don't trust the people around her, and I can not have her making friends with anyone- especially the boys in my group- in this camp. They are poison. They would corrupt her system.

I'm content right now though. She and I have made progress, and her being able to use me to piss other girls off was, in fact, an improvement. Anything with her near me was an improvement.

"Head itchy?" Bella said low enough for me only.

I hadn't even realized I still had my hand in my hair. I pulled it out, and crossed my arms.

She shook her head, and placed her head in her hands, with her elbows on her knees, and stared forward.

Even with her wild highlighted hair, all in a messy bun, and god awful clothing…she looked..._good_. I had to admit it. The way she sighed and starred at the ground, and looked at me through the corner of her eye, frowned, and waved her hand in front of my face…she was so…

"Edward. Quit staring at me." She elbowed me in the ribs, which did zero damage to me. I grinned at her attempt to look tough with me. She wasn't ferocious, or scary.

"I wasn't staring, I was merely-"

"Looking down my top." She turned to look at Sharon, who was now in the center of the talking circle, holding up a colourful stick.

"I was not!" I harshly whispered back. She ignored me.

**BPOV**

I thought Karen was the easiest person to mess with, but Edward seemed to be fun as well. I had him fuming beside me, all because he didn't like me implying that he was a perv.

Edward a perv? Now that was laughable. I knew he was a gentleman…but he didn't know that I knew he was a gentleman.

But speaking of pervs…the guy beside me was one. He kept nudging me with his arms, "accidentally" rubbing up against me, and his legs didn't know how to stay on his own side.

If he touched me one more time, I was going to…tell Edward?

_Yes. _I leaned over and grabbed onto Edward's shoulder to pull him closer to me. He gladly moved in. "Can we trade spots, this guy beside me is totally in my bubble." I whispered to him.

He didn't know what whispering was apparently…

"In your what?" he said loudly, snapping his head to glare over at the guy who was oblivious to anything going on at all. I guess he had moved on to his neighbour, who looked quite frightened of the talking circle.

"Nevermind, he stopped. Just shut up." I whispered, letting go of him.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on him though. Besides, I didn't want to switch anyway, this guy on my right isn't someone who you need to be mixing with." He whispered back. I ignored him.

Edward feeling uncomfortable, because he thought I was uncomfortable, made me grin. I covered my mouth to hide my huge smile.

**Tracy POV**

The guy beside me was really creeping me out, and I wasn't like Bella who had a knight in shining armour to tell him to back off.

Instead, I pretended I didn't notice his wondering hands, and I tried to pay attention to Sharon, who in turn was trying to get our attention.

_Poor woman, she really does need to retire…_I shifted in my seat and prayed to god we didn't have to talk today.

"This is the talking stick." Sharon held up a colourful stick.

_Crap. _A talking stick was never a good sign.

"When you have it, you can talk. When you don't have it, you can't talk. That is it." She twirled the stick in her hand, and several of the other girls giggled. "Freedom of speech is allowed. You can voice whatever is on your mind, and you don't _have_ to have a point. Before we start, are there any questions?"

"What's the point?" a boy with a buzz cut groaned into his hands. Was he allowed to talk without the talking stick? Maybe it didn't start yet…

"The point is to open up. The point is to trust the people around you. The point is to respect those around you, and listen. The point is to be free." She had her arms outstretched like some sort of bird.

I guess that's what you do when you're free. You have the sudden urge to spread your wings…

I wanted to barf. I felt so nervous…

"Oh, and one more thing," she spun around to get everyone's eye contact at least once, "I will start off the talking stick session today. My topic will be…'first time'. If you can, try and stay within my topic, if you don't want to, don't." She smiled so huge that I thought the skin around her lips was going to rip.

My face fell into my hands, I couldn't stop swallowing, and my heart couldn't stop racing.

"My first time stealing." Sharon said lowly, to get us interested. Girls gasped, boys chuckled, and I tried to breathe. "Yes, I stole a piece of gum from a corner store when I was eight years old."

"No miss! You criminal!" one of the boys mocked her voice, and laughed with the other boys around him.

"Excuse me, I have the talking stick," Sharon said sternly. The circle went quiet.

"Anyway, I felt so guilty, I couldn't even eat it, so I hid it in my top drawer. But my mom, like I'm sure most of yours do, liked to pry, and she found it. She asked me where I had gotten it, and I was so nervous and scared, I couldn't force myself to lie. I burst out in tears and told her the truth."

_I wish the worst thing my mom found in my top drawer was a piece of stolen juicy fruit…_I kept my head looking at the ground. I could have fallen asleep if I wasn't so scared and uncomfortable…

"She made me go back to that same corner store I took it from, and tell the owner what I had done. Up until that point in my life, I had never been so embarrassed. The owner yelled and yelled at me, and I cried so hard, and then he banned me from the store for the rest of the month." Sharon said. I looked up when she stopped talking, but she wasn't done talking. "Now I have a point to my story…not that you have to…"

I looked up from my gaze at the ground, and couldn't help thinking about death. I needed a shotgun right now to blow my brains out. I had a headache, my stomach was on a spin cycle, and my lips were dry from biting on them.

"I learned that it is better to tell the truth and fix your mistakes, because in the end you feel better. Agree?" she asked the group. A boy's hand shot up, and she threw him the talking stick.

"That's not true. If you had kept the gum, you could have felt the satisfaction of being above the law, and getting a free treat. Going back to the owner only made you even more upset, and that got you into even more trouble." He said, throwing back the stick to her.

_So true…_I totally agreed with him.

He grinned when Sharon shook her head.

He had a nice smile, and he was very good looking. He had dirty blondish hair, a couple inches long, that was swept in every direction. His face was strong looking, with a hard jaw line that was the opposite of his friendly looking eyebrows, and blue eyes. His body, well, matched his face. It was gorgeous.

He suddenly made eye contact with me, and cocked an eyebrow when I couldn't snap out of it. My eyes instantly found the ground again, _thank god_.

"I'm sorry you feel that way young man, but maybe during your stay here, you'll learn to think differently," she said.

I looked up at her, and out of the corner of my eye I watched the boy shake his head no.

"Anyway, who's next?" Sharon asked, holding up the stick of doom.

My head snapped away from the stick, and I kept eye contact with the ground. My breathing kicked right back up, and I felt like puddles of sweat were forming under me.

"Come on now," Sharon said. I could hear her walking around the circle in front of everyone, "Don't make me choose…" I gulped when I saw her feet stop in front of me. "Tracy. I choose you then."

I looked up into the old woman's eyes. I wanted her to be joking, I wanted her to be testing me. But as my eyes traced over the seriousness of her face, I realized she wasn't.

My pulse quickened, and I prayed to god or to any spirit in heaven, to just hurry up and kill me.

**BPOV**

My heart picked up pace when Sharon started to circle the group, looking for the next story teller.

There was no way in hell I was getting up and telling something about my "first time". It was already awkward enough having to listen to Sharon try and configure a story up; I couldn't even imagine actually talking about myself.

"She's not going to pick you, relax." Edward leaned over and whispered to me.

I exhaled. _Thank god._

"Come on now," Sharon said, walking around looking into all our faces. "Don't make me choose…" she stopped in front of the girl I usually referred to as Bambi. But she had her head down, and she looked like she was going to topple over and die.

_Oh no, she's going to choose her…_I felt sorry for her.

"Tracy. I choose you then." Sharon said, holding out the stick to the scared looking girl.

Bambi girl had a new name, and it was Tracy. The name actually matched her dark doe eyes, and chin length dark hair.

_Fucking take it Tracy…you can do it!_ I screamed in my head. I felt so nervous for her, and I wanted her to do well. Why was this? I didn't even know her, nor did I care for her. Maybe it was that I felt for her. I knew her type, I used to be that…and it sucked being the frightened, spineless girl, who pretended not to exist.

Watching her body language told me she couldn't stand in front of these teenagers. She looked like she was in shock, and her usual frightened looking face was now a home for pure terror. I felt incredibly terrible for her, and for some reason, I didn't want her to have to do something she clearly was uncomfortable doing.

Adrenaline pumped through me, and a new idea formed in my brain.

_I'm such an idiot..._I told myself, right before making a stand- literally.

"I'll do it," I shrugged, holding out my hand nonchalantly. _I'm doing the right thing, I'm doing the right thing_ I repeated over and over in my stupid mind.

The right thing wasn't always the easiest thing…

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How was the chapter?

**I hope there aren't too many spelling mistakes, just ignore them if there are.**


	9. Lesson Learned

**Refresher of last chapter: **After throwing a plate of food at Larry, Bella is given the semi difficult task of helping Guy carry canoes. But the real torture comes when she has to endure her first group activity; the talking circle, and it's fully equipped with a talking stick. But Bella isn't chosen to speak second, a fellow bunk bud is, and that makes Bella feel sorry for the girl- sorry enough to literally take a stand.

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Chapter 9: Lesson Learned

**EPOV**

Bella was really nervous when Sharon started circling the group, and even after telling her that Sharon had no intentions of picking her, she still looked extremely worried.

But no one seemed more nervous than the girl off to the left who was literally asking god to take her life. She was shaking pretty bad, and her pulse was all over the place; I seriously thought we'd be seeing her on the ground within a few seconds.

I felt terrible for her, but there was nothing I could do for her. She needed to conquer her fears herself, and trying something that made her uncomfortable was a way to do that. Apparently Bella wasn't on the same page as me with this, and instead of letting the poor girl suck it up and take the stick, she had to butt in.

Bella stood up. "I'll do it," she held her hand out for the talking stick.

I covered my face with my hands, and then pulled them through my hair when Sharon actually passed the damn stick to her.

"Oh thank you Bella," Sharon sounded surprised.

We were all surprised. No one wanted to volunteer. I know Bella didn't want to get picked; her heart still sounded just as loud.

Even though I knew the scared girl needed to get over her fear of speaking out, the act of Bella standing up and taking her place was something I recognized from the old Bella. It felt good to see her returning for a few mintues.

It also didn't feel good. I didn't really want to know what Bella's "first time" talk was going to be about…but then again…the curiosity was killing me.

**Tracy's POV**

Did that just happen? Did that rude, outspoken, smartass girl- whom I have been afraid of since my arrival here- seriously just take my place for me?

God may not have sent down a gun to blow my brains out, but he sent down a miracle, and her name was Bella Swan.

**BPOV**

I seemed to have shocked everyone- especially Tracy. When I took the damn stick from Sharon, Tracy's doe eyes were wide, and weren't leaving my face anytime soon. Either were any of the mesmerized eyes from around the circle, belonging to random boys, and my bunk buds- oh, and Edward.

Edward was rubbing his jaw, and rolled his eyes at me when I shrugged at him. But even though he acted all bored, I knew he was anxious to hear what I was going to be talking about. I'm sure everyone wanted to know. I wanted to know too…because I had no fucking clue…

"Okay…so…" I cleared my throat and walked slowly around the middle of the circle, really trying to search my brain for an appropriate topic within the lame topic of "first time". I didn't want to pick something that needed a lot of explaining, and I didn't want something that could be looked at as the reason I'm here…like drugs…or...drugs.

_Got it. _I grinned when my story came into my head. I don't know why I didn't remember it right off the back. It was seriously the most exciting day of my life.

"My story is about my first time on a motorcycle…and it also happens to be my first time crashing a motorcycle." I pulled up my cargo shorts, which were a size to big for me, and continued on with what I knew would be a kick ass story. "Yup, I won a piece of shit Kawasaki bike off a guy, and my bud told me he'd teach me how to drive it." I fidgeted with my shirt, and looked down at my dirty boots. They needed a good spit shine at least.

Sharon cleared her throat for me to hurry it along, so after giving her a little look, I continued on. "Anyway, he was a very good teacher, and I was a cocky student. I picked it up easily, and within the first half-hour of riding around, I got bored, and I picked up the speed- right at a fork in the road. I went straight through it, and smashed my bike into a ditch."

The group gasped, and Edward looked stiff.

"Don't worry…the bike had minimal damage, and it was fine," I laughed along with the guys- except Edward. "As for me, I crushed a few bones in my left hand, and my collar bone might have gotten frigged up."

The group was grinning at my story, and it hadn't even gotten to the fun part.

"I say _might_, because we're still not sure if I shattered my collar bone from the impact of that crash, or the one that happened twenty minutes after," I grinned when jaws dropped. Everyone was infatuated with my story. Well, obviously not everyone. Edward hadn't blinked since the point of me saying I was a cocky student. He expected the worse, as usual.

"Right after the crash, I was so pumped up that my bud took me over to our local swimming hole, where some dudes had set up the biggest jump I had ever seen. If you made it, you ended up on the dock, if you didn't; you were swimming with the fishes- along with your bike.

"I was willing to risk my shitty bike for the thrill of it. I probably shouldn't have…I still miss that bike. To make a long story short, I ended up over shooting the dock, and half landing on it, and half not. My bike smashed me hard into the dock, and then dragged me down into the lake. My bud then fished me out because I was so disoriented from hitting my head, and shattering my collar bone, that I couldn't even swim."

I stopped talking and looked at everyone's eyes, which were actually wide from my little life experience of a story.

_Damn right, I win the prize for most exciting story. Plenty more where that came from too. That's not even the goriest of my life events…_

"But yeah, so that's pretty much it for that day. A couple weeks later I bought a Kawasaki Ninja, and I still have it. It's unbelievable. If I had pictures, I'd show you." I put my hands in my pockets and went to go sit back down, but Sharon had a quick question.

"So what did you learn from your experience of riding a motorcycle, and I guess, crashing a motorcycle?" she waited for my answer when I gave her a hesitated look. I didn't know there was a quiz at the end…

"Ummm….I learned to wear a helmet for next time?"

People laughed. "You didn't have a helmet on the first time?" Sharon gasped, clearly shocked and/or horrified.

"No."

She shook her head in disapproval. She thought I was plain dumb, I think. I knew that's what Edward was thinking. I hadn't seen him move an inch, his eyes were black, and I swear to god, he looked whiter than usual.

"Wow, well I guess that would teach you to wear one…near death experiences seem to set people straight." She motioned for me to throw the stick to her, which I gladly did. I had enough of that thing.

Then I found an opportunity to screw with her. "No, it didn't set me straight…I wasn't gay before that experience. I liked boys before I smashed my head, and I still like boys after smashing my head." I joked, taking my seat.

"I'm counting on it," a boy with dirty looking dark hair, which was swept across his eyes, said lowly. But I heard him, and so did the rest of the group. They all hooted and laughed in agreement.

I ignored the little pricks.

"Enough. I have the talking stick. Thank you for that lovely comment at the end of your story." Sharon stood up from the bench and was back in the center, ready for action.

"Don't mention it," I said lowly. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Edward, who was doing the same towards me. I elbowed him, and he went back to looking at Sharon.

"Alright, who's next?" she held up the stick. I wasn't surprised who jumped up and grabbed it. He was always trying to one up me…

"I think I'll give it a go," Edward took the stick from Sharon, and waited for her to sit down, and then he was ready for his grand story.

_Here we fucking go…_I wonder what he's going to talk about? Maybe his first time being turned into a vampire. But that was only ever a one time thing. Maybe his first time hunting? Haha, right. Probably his first time getting all A's on his report card. Yeah, that ones it.

I crossed my legs and looked up at Edward. I didn't like the seriousness that was all over his face. I didn't like it at all. If he talked about me…he would be _done_.

"I would like to talk about the first time I fell in love." He said looking at me, but his eyes were blank and he wasn't really actually seeing me. He looked like he was off in the distance, caught up in memories that couldn't bring him back to the talking circle.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ I'm going to kill him.

The girls around the circle nudged each other in excitement. I guess they thought a re-enactment of _The Notebook_ was headed their way. Little did they know, the movie _Prom Night _would be playing.

I kept my hands on my top knee, and held my tongue; if he even said my name, I was denying everything.

"We met in school, and at first, we didn't exactly like each other. I tried avoiding her, she tried avoiding me, and that was it. But one day, I saved her life, and after that day, I couldn't help noticing her." He spoke in one tone, not emphasizing any particular part, and again, he was still off in his little world; in a daze.

"I learned everything about her. She was clumsy, and fell a lot. She blushed when you complimented her, made fun of her, or embarrassed her. Her kindness was evident; not once had I seen her cause someone else pain, even if they deserved a little bit. She was also the type of girl who didn't care about where her clothing was from, or how her hair looked. But she was still the most attractive girl I had ever seen."

I saw a few of the girls sigh, and put a hand on their chest. I wasn't the same. I put my hand over my mouth to keep from coughing up my tonsils. The boys seemed to be with me on that one too.

"Anyway, I fell in love with her. And she fell in love with me too. We were inseparable…" he trailed.

_Oh__, a flaw to the story. Yes Edward, turns out we WERE separable, thanks to you._

"But for different reasons, I disappeared from her life." He said lowly. Girls gasped, I rolled my eyes. This was taking too long.

His eyes suddenly cleared over, and came back to us- well me. He stared at me, and I had to look away. I felt fucking uncomfortable. "That was the worst decision I have ever made in my life, and if I could tell her one thing, it would be that I still love her."

_Yeah__, I'll be sure to e-mail that to the old Bella. I'm sure she's still waiting in the dark somewhere…or not._

"I can't though, because right after I disappeared, she disappeared too."

_Here we go…_I looked up to glare at him. He'd shut the fuck up now if he knew what was good for him

"I'm still looking for her though, because I know she's around somewhere. I'll wait forever, because I have forever. She's worth it." He stared at me, not intimidated by my harsh glare. He then passed the stick back to Sharon and sat down next to me.

I didn't hit him, or shove him, or even swear at him. I pretended to be oblivious to his little speech for now, but just for now. If Larry and I had one thing in common, it would be that we never forget. _Ever._

**-x-**

**EPOV**

My crew and I were supposed to be in our own bunks, with our mouths shut. But no one followed the rules here anyway. I even sat up in my bunk, which was a top one, and listened in on the...well…to call it a conversation seemed incorrect. The chit chat…

"How god awful is this camp?" Landon was walking the aisle between our bunks, while another guy, who I noticed Tracy seemed to like, hung from the beams of the cabin ceiling, swinging back and forth. "I mean, besides this Bella chick, everything about it blows."

My hands formed into fists, but I hid them beneath the thin blanket that laid neatly unused- until now- on my bunk. Ignoring these low-life kid's fantasies was one thing, but having to listen to them talk about Bella was proving difficult.

"I know dude. I nearly passed out when she said she was into motorcycles." another guy said.

_Your not alone there…_except probably not for the same reasons. I knew she went off the beaten track when I left, I just didn't realize she literally did.

Listening to Bella's accidents, and bone breaking antics, had me so angry that I couldn't even react. Just thinking about what she had done while I was away brought back the sickening feelings.

The story she told probably wasn't even her wildest one, or most dangerous- and that scared me.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need to go for a walk," I said, jumping off my bunk.

"Oh, is lover boy going on a moon walk to search for his dearly beloved?" Landon stepped in front of me, and I merely shoved past him. He knew I could take him.

"You know what, I feel like one too." The dude Tracy liked said. His name was Jack. I ignored him, and walked out the door, entering the night. What I couldn't ignore were more than one set of feet following me down to the lake, and I didn't have to turn around to recognize the swearing and stumbling that belonged to Landon.

_Oh__ good._

**BPOV**

I sat up on my bunk bud, and actually chatted with the colourful chicks I call my bunk buds.

"Bella that was a crazy story, was it all true?" Brooke looked up at me from her bottom bunk, and tried to avoid Karen's feet hanging in her face.

"Every word. I even had to leave out details for your benefit. You can thank me later." I said.

Brooke laughed, and Karen shushed her and pointed over to the corner bunk towards 'the twins'. "The outcasts are sleeping. Don't wake them up, they're incredibly lame."

Tracy, who was sitting next to Brooke, actually giggled at that, and Karen heard her. "Like you can talk, you spineless prick. You haven't said two words since your arrival, and it's pissing me off." Karen jumped down to get a good look at her, and when she did that, I jumped down to possibly break up a fight.

"Chill Karen. She's cool," I said, not moving away from her.

"My name is not Karen. It's Logan. And you swooping in to save the mute is pissing me off," she said, moving that much closer to my face.

"What's pissing me off is that you're the biggest wimp of all of us. I didn't see you jumping in to take a turn with the stick. That's because you are one fat wimp." I sat down on Tracy's bed when I thought I had won, and made my point.

"I am not a wimp. I am far from it." She yelled.

I shook my head and held up my hand to her. That gesture alone would totally piss me off. Plus, it was so lame.

"How about we see who's the bigger wimp with an old fashioned game of truth or dare?" she leaned over to look under the bunk at me.

_Fuck __yeah__! _She doesn't know I'm the queen of that shit. _Bring it._

"Psst. One step ahead of you _Logan. _I choose _dare._" I stood up and crossed my arms.

"I dare you to go skinny dipping in the lake." A devious smile formed across her face. She thought she had me beat.

"Ha, consider it done." My adrenaline was over the brim, and I shoved past her, and greeted the darkness outside.

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As promised, I posted the chapter tonight. Tell me what you think, and I'm sorry for the spelling mistakes. Just ignore them…. :)


	10. Naked

**Refresher from last chapter: **Bella tells a not so personal story of crashing her motorcycle at talking circle, while Edward pours out his guts for Bella when it's his turn with the stick.

Later, Edward and his crew decide to go for a walk by the lake, while Bella's crew begins a game of truth or dare. Bella's dare? Skinny dipping, and she's all for it.

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Chapter 10: Naked

**EPOV**

"Dude you're going to get us in trouble," Jack whined looking around at the forest.

"Give it a rest Jack, I know what I'm doing," Landon lied.

The guy had no experience in untying simple boat knots, and it looked like Landon wouldn't be getting a moonlight canoe ride anytime soon.

"Fuck it!" he shoved the canoe knot away from himself, and fell onto his back next to Jack, who was lying next to me on the dock.

Everyone went silent.

There was nothing to talk about. None of us liked each other, we had nothing in common, and lying on a dock in such close proximity probably made everyone feel a bit uncomfortable.

But even under the circumstances, I still felt a sense of ease passing through me. Maybe because it was dark and the stars were out; or maybe it was the fact that I couldn't stop thinking of Bella, and wondering what she was dreaming about during her silent slumber.

**BPOV**

Karen followed me down the path towards the lake- no surprise there- but I wasn't expecting Tracy to come crawling out of her cage, and sneaking out too.

_Good for her,_ I thought as I ripped off my tank top and chucked it at Karen. She swore.

"Hold my shit, and don't fucking do anything to it," I said behind me, not even slowing my quick pace down the path. The twigs and rocks were driving into my feet. That didn't matter; I'd be in the water in ten seconds anyway.

"Okay, shut up," Karen caught my cargo shorts that I had thrown up in the air behind me.

I stopped when the path came to an end, and I took a breath in.

The night was dark, and my destination was marked; the rope swing off the ridge, located on a higher point of the cove. Sure it would be easier to go where the docks were only 60 meters away, but that was less fun- and a lot less dangerous. Come to think of it, the rope wasn't even allowed to be used. The jump to grab the rope wasn't safe, and the fall was too great of a distance for wuss's- a.k.a, not me.

"You're doing it off of the ridge…?" a voice asked behind me. I had never heard Tracy talk, but I assumed it was her- Karen sounded more manly…

"Fuck yeah," Karen butted in, "Not that you get any say anyway, this isn't your dare. Why are you even here?" Karen didn't even wait for an answer, "Anyway, let's hurry this up, and remember Bella, it's SKINNY DIPPPING, which means lose the garments." She shoved me out into the open, and the moonlight bounced off my insanely white body.

"Yes perv, I'll take care of that." I turned towards the direction of the rope. _Let's not get caught tonight Bella, let's save that for another Camp Archstone night._

I sucked in one more breath of night air, and sprinted towards the ridge.

**Tracy POV**

She was crazy. The ridge was off limits for a reason; no one knew if the water below was deep enough anymore. Even if she managed to grab onto the rope when she jumped for it, it wouldn't get her far enough from the rocks underneath the dark water. She was going to snap her neck on a boulder, and she didn't even care.

I just stood beside Logan as she ran towards the rope, and watched the rest of her clothing fly off of her.

She was one very brave, very stupid, and very naked chick.

**EPOV**

"This is lame," Landon sat up onto his hands, and looked up at the sky.

"Then leave," I mumbled. I was quite fine where I was. I had been concentrating on nothing but my thoughts for the past few minutes, and they of course were of Bella.

They were quite vivid of the old Bella. I could see her brown hair, her blush across her face, her smile, and her pure brown, happy eyes. She looked so close I could almost hear her accelerated heartbeat now…in fact, I swear I could…

"Jesus Christ!" Landon gasped. I snapped my head up towards Landon at the sound of a scream, and before I could turn my head to look behind me, I heard a splash.

I stood and looked where I heard the scream, and I knew I recognized it, but I prayed to god my head was just playing games with me. Bella wouldn't do something so dumb…

Landon quickly stood, and started stripping into his boxers. He was thinking about the image he saw in his head, and that's when my jaw went rigid from the description he saw…

"Jack did you just see that! A very commando Bella went off that rope and I'm totally-" my fist came square into Landon's face. He wouldn't do _any _such thing, in fact, he wasn't setting a _toe _into that water until Bella was out of it.

"What's your problem, she's the one who stripped down and-" Jack tried to argue Landon's case, but I gave him a death glare that implied he would be next to Landon, crying on the ground, if he kept talking about her.

I watched the spot where her splash had left broken water, and told myself I would give her five more seconds to get her head above the water before I went in there after her.

**BPOV**

It's a weird feeling running through the pitch black of night with breezes going where breezes shouldn't be. But mostly, it felt empowering.

I kept my head forward, eye on the rope, and when my foot came in contact with the edge of the ridge, I pushed off. For a moment, I thought I was going to miss the rope, and that's when I wished I wasn't going to die in my birthday suit. But when my hands gripped the rope, I smiled. It swung me far and high into the sky, and my eyes grew wide when I reached the peak of the swing; not from fear of the fall, but because a group of boys were lounging over on the docks sixty meters away, and one of them was looking up in my direction.

I let go, and screamed both from the breath being taken from me, and the fact that someone may or may not have been able to see me through the dark.

But a boy seeing too much of my flesh was the least of my problems. The moment my body hit the icy water, the impact alone sent me into denial of even coming back up for a breath.

**Tracy's POV**

We ran down to where Bella was supposed to be coming above the water, and when we stood on the ridge waiting for her to pull herself up, we were shocked to see some boys standing anxiously on the edge of the dock a distance away.

"That's hilarious, I wonder if they could see her from there?" Logan laughed, peering over to where the boys stood. "Let's go over." She grabbed my elbow and nudged me towards them. But we both froze when one of the boys dove in after her, and Logan laughed even harder.

_Oh no! If she's alive, she'll probably die from embarrassment- wait that would be me…_

**EPOV**

I couldn't wait five seconds. I had just seen her crash into the water from thirty feet high, into an area of the lake that was restricted, and my patience was severely being tested.

Test failed. I didn't wait, and I dove into the water after her.

**BPOV**

There were big boulders underneath the black water that I didn't exactly think about when I was falling from the sky. I thought my luck had won when I avoided the major ones after plunging into the water, but when the force of the fall pressed me deeper, a rock found me, and tore my left leg to shreds.

My body went into shock for three seconds from the pain, but my lungs were screaming for air, so I ignored my leg and burst through the surface- only to be shocked again from seeing _EDWARD_ swimming hard towards me.

"Not another inch!" I screamed, covering myself in the dark water. He halted ten feet from me, but he was still staring at me. "Fucking turn around and get out of here!" I splashed the water in front of me, and tried to tread water with one leg. I was half sinking and the water was up to my lips.

"Are you hurt!" he asked harshly, swimming a bit closer to me. Even though it was dark out, the moon still was bright on the water, and I could see his angry features on his face, mixed with worry.

"If you don't fucking get out of here, I'm swimming home," I said, spitting out water as I sunk and tried to stay up.

"Bella it's _me,_" he said through clenched teeth, "And you barely being able to swim right now, and not answering me is-"

"I'm fine!" I yelled. "Now if you want to help, meet me back at the dock with my clothes."

He glared at me, tightened his jaw, and then turned to swim back to the dock.

I slowly followed him, hoping to god Karen didn't fucking "forget" my clothes.

**Tracy's POV**

"Hand me her clothes now!" Edward yelled at Logan, who was standing on the dock beside me, pretending she didn't know they were behind her back.

She handed them to him after making a comment about being too touchy.

I still couldn't get over the fact that he was making a big deal about Bella doing this, and I couldn't believe he had jumped in after her. Edward had swam back to the docks in record time. He was obviously strong, and Bella had obviously told him to fuck off, or something like that.

Bella was still out in the water, and she looked like her time above the water was ticking.

_Did she not know how to swim?_

**BPOV**

My leg was so fucked up, I could feel the skin peeling away in the water, and I knew there would be blood or something. That was partially why I stayed in the water about five or six meters from the dock; that and I was still had no clothes…

"Tracy throw me my bra and underwear," I treaded water as Edward held up my cargo shorts and beater in his hand.

"But I have your other clothes here, I can swim them out to you-"

"Yes, I would love to get my only clothes I have for the night wet…." I said sarcastically. He put his arm down, but continued holding on to them.

Tracy did what she was told, and I had to swim a bit closer to retrieve my garments because her throw just sucked. When I got my sports bra and underwear, I looked up at everyone who was staring.

"Need some help?" a boy with a swollen eye, standing in his boxer shorts asked. Edward actually hissed at him.

Karen laughed. I didn't.

"Wow, you guys are all pervs..." I ducked underwater and put on my bra AND underwear in one long breath, and popped back up.

I swam up to the dock and grabbed onto the ledge. And as soon as I laid one finger on it, Edward grabbed my arm and yanked me up- only to have everyone scream.

My left leg was worse than I thought. It was destroyed.

Edward instantly picked me up and stopped breathing at the sight of my leg. It looked like I had road rash from being dragged by a fork lift. Skin was peeled back, and red new skin was showing through, with spots of blood dripping down.

But we didn't have time to feel sorry for me.

"Someone's coming!" Tracy said loudly, pointing to flashlights towards the mess hall.

Karen and the two boys swore, and ran, while Tracy looked at me apologetically.

"Tracy run!" I yelled at her. She flinched, but did turn and run. She was sort of a goody-goody, and I could imagine her fear of being caught tonight.

"Let me go, I need to get back to the Cabin. They're checking them for missing people." I pushed against his chest, but he only started walking quickly towards the forest, and along the path in the direction of my cabin.

"Your leg needs medical attention Bella!" he held me tighter when I squirmed from the pain of the air getting into the open gash.

"Yeah, and when the camp counsellors ask me how my leg got like this, I just tell them everything!" my sarcasm was apparent, but he wasn't in the mood for it. He was in a horrible mood.

"Well maybe you should have thought twice before jumping off a cliff _naked!" _

We were finally outside my cabin, but he still wasn't dropping me.

"It was a dare. Get over it. Now put me down-"

"I don't like this at all. You need to get that looked at." He still argued. But I was shoving him away from me, and giving him the worst looks, so he eventually had to put me down, but his hands never left my bare waist.

"Edward do you like looking at me in my bra and panties, or are you just not handing me back my clothes and getting the fuck out of here because you _want_ me to get caught?" I ripped my cargo shorts and beater out from under his arm, and pulled out of his grasp.

Every fucking step towards the cabin door stung, but I acted like I didn't feel a thing. I made it through the door though, and when I slammed it shut, I fell onto the floor and swore from the pain.

"Wow you're fucked Bella," Karen said looking down from her bunk. I nodded in agreement.

There was no hiding my torn up leg from anyone tomorrow…and I was in for a beating from somebody…

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Wow, it's 12:16am and I can't believe I actually finished writing in less than an hour. Maybe because I didn't bother editing or anything…

**Anyway, there you go, and tell me what you think.**


	11. The Future IS Set in Stone

**Brief refresher of the last chapter: **Bella is at Camp Archstone. She keeps getting into trouble. Latest thing- skinny dipping. Question remaining: will the camp counsellors find out?

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**Chapter 11: The Future _IS_ Set in Stone**

**APOV**

"Rosalie want to go do something?" I walked into the garage to find her underneath her car, covered in grease, "Like the spa maybe…I see a seaweed wrap in your future…" I stared at her dirty looking face, but she didn't get off on my rare joking mood.

She ignored me and continued tinkering with her car.

Rosalie had been extra difficult since Edward left. She hated that he was back on the track of following Bella around, and she didn't understand how 'he couldn't just get rid of her'.

Rosalie talked as if Bella were the plague, and it was hard to be around her when she was on a 'Bella bashing' rant.

But I was lonely. A sisterly fight was what I needed.

"Is that a no….or what…?" I went and leaned on her car, and that's when she finally noticed me.

"Don't ruin the wax job!" she hissed.

Ruining my jeans from grease on the hood of her car would normally have sent me flying off in the other direction. But I didn't care. Instead, I felt like toying with Rosalie.

"Do you hear yourself? It's a wax job. Get over it." I stood up and glared at her eyes from underneath the car.

"You're the one to talk. You used to be ten times worse than me, with all your shopping, and whatever you used to do. But fuck, poor little Alice lost her buddy, and now she's transformed into the new Edward." She hung her lower lip at me, and I held in a growl that was forming in my throat.

She went back to looking at the bottom of her car.

"Hmm, we can't all be like you, and not even have friends to begin with. Tell me Rosalie, what's it like to be the most hated girl that's ever walked the face of this earth?" I cocked my head to the side and she ignored me again.

_Fuck you Rosalie. _I hated when she pretended she didn't care. She thought she was above me to not play along.

I turned to leave the garage, and that's when inspiration caught the corner of my eye.

_Hello crow bar…where have you been hiding?_

I picked it up off the wall hook, and without hesitation, smashed the right headlight of her precious car.

Of course, I ran away after. I wasn't dumb.

"I WOULDN'T COME HOME IF I WERE YOU!" she yelled, the anger very apparent in her voice.

_I wouldn't dream of it. _

I ran through the darkness of the night, glad to be away from the house. I liked running alone; it kept my mind off how much my life sucked now. I wouldn't let anyone in on that fact. I was the strong, happy-go-lucky one…or at least I was supposed to be.

_I'm so full of it…why am I so angry?_ I stopped running when my question was answered...

With a vision.

I closed my eyes and watched the pictures flash behind my lids.

It was of a camp called Camp Archstone. _The one Edward went to. _A man was leaning over a girl, who was in pain on the ground. He wouldn't stop yelling at her.

I recognized the girl when she turned over onto her back, and Bella's bruised and bloody face came into picture. Her eyes were so wide, so dark, and so…angry.

I snapped my eyes open and pulled my hands through my short hair.

_Edward better know what's he doing…Bella sure seems to be in for it._

I sighed. _She's not your problem anymore…_

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**Very short. Clearly.**

**I thought I'd finally do an APOV, and I thought she deserved her own chapter.**

**Hopefully I'll update tomorrow, or definitely by Monday.**


	12. Float or Sink

**A/N: **OK, what a piss off! I couldn't log on for TWO DAYS! So instead of posting the chapter Sunday night, I watched the OSCARS! Haha, but seriously, I am FINALLY able to post. I hope the system doesn't fuck up again, that sucked….

**Refresher of last Chapter 10: **Karen dares Bella to skinny dip. Bella agrees. She runs down to the rope ridge, fully naked in the dark, and jumps off- at the same time a few boys are lounging on the dock nearby. Bella swings off the rope, and lands in a deepish part of the water, but manages to skid her leg on a rock under the dark water.

Edward can't wait any longer, jumps in, and sees if she is okay. Bella gets her clothes back, and Edward yanks her out, only to see a fucked up leg.

Everyone then runs off, and Edward takes Bella back to her Cabin.

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Chapter 12: Float or Sink

**Tracy's POV**

Bella was fucked. I knew it. She knew it. Everyone in our cabin- even the two girls who had no idea what had happened- knew it.

"It's not that bad. You can't even see the scrape if I pull my shorts down a little lower…" she tugged at her cargo shorts until her boxers were the only thing covering her ass. "I really am fucked…" she sighed, sitting down beside me on my bunk.

Everyone nodded with me.

"Well, I'll just say I fell." She stood up quickly, and swore from her leg.

Logan jumped down from her bunk, and walked over to the door. "Well let's go ladies, breakfast awaits- and it looks like we're walking ourselves there," she opened the door and showed us no old lady Sharon standing on the other side of it.

We all gasped; not from the lack of authority today, but from the fact that it was pissing buckets outside.

"Jesus Christ!" one of the blondes said, moving towards the door to stand by Logan.

_Fucking right…_I didn't know it was possible to rain _that _hard. The pine needles on the trees around our cabin looked like they were going to be ripped off from the pressure of the rain, and the sandy dirt on the ground was no longer sandy, but now pure mud.

I sighed.

We had to get up to the mess hall A.S.A.P, or it was our asses on the line. No one wanted to get into trouble, but I could also say that no one wanted to run through _that _much rain and mud.

Oh except Bella. She strolled straight past us like there wasn't a hurricane forming right outside our door.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

When Karen opened the door, I grinned.

_Rain. _It reminded me so much of Forks- and I liked that because it brought back memories of being with my bud- the human one, not the one in the baggie.

Rainy days were the most fun. Jacob and I always went swimming in the high waves, and obviously took advantage of the mud with our dirt bikes. Sometimes we'd have so much fun that we didn't even need to get high. _Sometimes._

"Jesus Christ!" one of the twins said. _Jesus Christ is right! It's fucking awesome! _

I walked passed the girls nonchalantly, straight into the best kind of weather.

The rain was pouring down pretty damn hard, and the skin on my shoulders felt like it was peeling off. My hair that was once high in a short pony tail was now matted to my head.

I held out my scraped up leg. The rain pelted down against the bare red skin, and washed away the peeled white skin. To say it burned wasn't quite the word…it more so killed.

I stared up into the sky, and the rain covered my face until my vision was blurred. There might have been tears mixed in there somewhere, but that was the beauty of rain; it hid and washed everything away.

I looked down at my boots. They had soaked up enough rain to water a garden, and caked on enough mud to open a mud pie bakery. That didn't bother me. Nothing did. My rainy day even seemed to wash the pain from my leg away.

"Is it nice out Bella?" Karen yelled over the pounding of the rain.

I grinned. I was in a good mood. Karen wasn't at all bothering me today. No one could bother me today. It was my day; no one could take it from me- not even fat Karen.

I waved for them to come outside, and reluctantly, they did.

"Oh gross," the twins said simultaneously with their hands flailing in the air. They quickly booked it down the path towards the mess hall, without even taking a rest to enjoy the freedom of not being watched by Sharon.

"Lame," Brooke nodded towards the two girls, and I nodded in agreement. They were lame. They didn't fit in with our group of misfits at all- and that's saying something when you don't fit in with a group of misfits…

I looked over at Tracy who was staring up into the sky, and grinning. Out of nowhere, she started spinning around with her arms out wide.

It was so unlike her to do that. That's why we all laughed at her; we weren't used to her acting…normal. The rain seemed to have knocked her fence down.

"She looks bloody ridiculous," Karen shouted over the high winds and rattling trees.

Tracy then became self-conscious, and stopped twirling.

Leave it to Karen to ruin someone's fun… _she's needs to learn to relax…_

I picked up a glob of mud in my hands, and looked mischievously into Karen's hard stare.

"You wouldn't dare." She yelled through the rain.

I launched the mud at her, and watched as it spread across her chest, and splattered across her face.

The girls and I stared at her with smiles on our faces, slightly scared at what her reaction would be, and watched as she wiped the mud off her eyelids. She looked up at me and a devious smile formed across her face.

"It's on, _Swan…" _she reached down for more mud, and that's when Brooke beat her to it, and threw a mud ball at me. It splattered across my back as I turned to avoid it, and splattered into my hair.

"OH IT'S ON BITCHES!" I yelled into the sky.

It was a full on mud war.

I threw the mud in every direction that it came from- which was every direction.

The girls and I couldn't stop laughing. Our hair was matted with mud and rain, our shirts didn't have one spec of white, and our shorts were barely holding onto our hips; they were completely drenched.

But even though we looked like four walking disasters, with our faces and limbs full of mud and dirt, we felt gorgeous. This rainy day wasn't dull with our bright eyes, and bright smiles- not that Karen's teeth were that white to begin with…

It was an honest truce for once between us. Hopefully it could last a bit longer than the ten minutes we had been playing in the rain and mud- _or was it longer than that…?_

"DUDES, WERE MISSING MESS HALL!" I grabbed onto Tracy and dragged her towards the path, and Tracy formed a chain with Karen and Brooke behind her.

'_Coming of age' girl time over…_.We had places to be, reputations to build, and relationships to destroy.

But as we ran down the path, splattering more mud on us, the rain completely stopped, and the sky cleared over.

Looks like the mud fight wasn't a good idea…

For the last time, _we were fucked._

**-x-**

**EPOV**

I was actually fidgeting in my seat, anxious for Bella to get in the mess hall.

Where were the rest of her group? Was there a problem with her leg? Was it causing her that much pain that she couldn't get here on time? Did she _like _getting into trouble?

I covered my face with my hands, and groaned just thinking about the trouble coming Bella's way if she and the rest her group didn't show up within two minutes.

But mainly I was groaning from the conversation between Jack and Landon. They still weren't done talking about last nights…well…_events._

"Jack, I nearly turned over and died when I saw her. Like, no word of a lie," he held up his hand, and crossed his heart with an 'X'.

"I bet! I wish I had. I was too busy looking at the goddamn stars to notice anything. By the time I looked up, she had already splashed through the water," Jack said, banging his hand on the table like he had failed a test or something.

"Dude, she looked unbelievable-" Landon was going over the top, so I had to cut him off.

"You didn't see anything, and you'd keep your mouth shut if you knew what was good for you," I pointed to his black eye, and turned to look back towards the door.

He didn't say anything, but he cursed at me in his head.

I snapped out of listening to Landon when Larry looked over at Bella's empty table.

"Where's the rest of the new girls group?" he nodded towards the nearly empty table, and I almost died when Sharon said she said they were supposed to be on their way.

Larry's thoughts towards the missing girls were not good, but they got even worse when four, dripping wet girls, covered from head to toe in mud, entered the mess hall- and they were smiling.

The girl's thoughts- all but one of course- were all over the place.

_Oh my god, fun ends now…_

_Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Why were we so dumb!_

_Fuck it. I'd do it all over again. Who fucking cares, 'cause I don't._

God only knows what Bella was thinking. Probably something similar to the last girl.

Those weren't the only thoughts in the room. The rest of the residents were, like me, bloody confused on how the hell they got so damn wet, and covered in mud. Larry thought this too, but instead of even asking how they looked the way they did, he exploded.

"DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY?" He was standing now, and every person in the room had their mouths shut, and eyes focused on the man walking towards the girls- no, he was focusing more on Bella.

He stopped in front of Bella, and I prayed to god for her not to answer him.

"You smile as if you are better than us. Are you? Do you get off on being late for breakfast, and then showing up like this," he looked her up and down, and I was thankful we didn't have to see the cut on her leg, "and then you smile about it?" he said the last part lowly, and that frightened the other girls.

Bella didn't stand off- which I could have strangled her for.

"That's a lot of questions. Yes, I do sometimes think I am funny. Am I better than these other residents? Hhmm…probably not. Better than you? Definitely. Finally, no to the last one." she looked at him blankly, after counting the answers to the questions down on her fingers, as if to say 'what else you got for me'?

Larry was boiling over. He suddenly grabbed onto Bella's beater, and yanked her towards the door.

I accidentally formed my grip too hard on the seat of my chair, and a piece of the wood crumbled into my hands. Everyone was too focused on Bella and her group to notice.

"You three, follow me as well," he shoved Bella towards the door, "no more falling under the radar this time."

They were led back outside, and the mess hall began it's chatter up again as if nothing even happened.

And I was supposed to sit here and pretend that didn't just happen? I had no idea what Larry had planned for them because not even Larry himself had figured that out yet.

All I know is that it is _shear torture_ living in the unknown.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

God is fucking hilarious.

First he throws us the best damn rain party ever, gets us so fucking dirty, then shuts off the rain we need to shower in, and finally, makes us look like a bunch of idiots in the mess hall.

Actually, the last one was our doing. But come on, it stopped raining when we needed it the most!

And of course, as Larry and some guards led us outside, what decides to start pounding down on our faces?

The fucking rain. _Unbelievable_…

"Guy! Bring the motorboat around. Take the girls to the float!" he pointed towards the lake, and I gulped.

"Is that very smart? The weather is very bad, I'm not even sure if I can get them there safely-"

"Are you seriously questioning me?" Larry glared at Guy, who in turn shook his head no.

I wanted Guy to fucking rip Larry's head off. Guy was tank, he could so take Larry. Larry was just a little weakling.

But no fight broke out. Larry turned and trudged back to the mess hall, angrier than ever, leaving Guy and us standing in the rain.

**EPOV**

Larry came back into the mess hall super angry. But I was glad he was back; I knew he wasn't anywhere near Bella that way. Though, reading his mind didn't offer me much clarity on whether Bella would be fine or not.

_See how they like that. Hope they go missing by morning…_He said in his head while he walked back over to his table with the other camp heads.

I cringed, and covered my face with my hands.

_Bella…_

**TPOV**

Most scary punishment yet.

Guy dropped us off in the middle of the lake on a 10x10 wooden float.

"Just stay on the float, not only because Larry said so, but because it's the safest thing for you right now." He pushed the boat off of the float, and I actually considered jumping into his boat before it was too late.

_Not really._

We sat still and watched him drive away, feeling the wooden make-shift raft bob up and down from the waves of the storm.

_Yes, a storm…_I don't even like thinking about how long we were to be out here.

**BPOV**

I locked eyes with guy when he turned back to look at us. His eyes were blank, but I could tell he knew this was not right. Leaving us in the middle of a lake during a storm wasn't okay. I crossed my arms, and shook my head at him. He simply turned his head around to avoid my dark eyes.

None of us spoke. We just stayed still on the small wooden float, and listened to the deafening sound of the pounding rain around us.

**-x-**

_**Five hours later…**_

"Karen, you okay?" I tapped her shoulder, and her head snapped up. She had been shivering so bad I thought her head had detached from her body.

"No." She whispered between shivers.

"None of us are okay!" Brooke snapped.

I was surprised to hear a tone like that from her. She was angry. And we all know where anger originates from…_fear._

I looked over at Tracy to see if the fear was covering her face like the other two girls. It hadn't yet. She held on to her blank mask. I envied that.

**Tracy's POV**

The waves had now started coming right over the float, and it took some effort from us to stay attached to it.

I was so scared. I didn't like the color of the sky. I didn't like the hard wind on my face. I didn't like not seeing anyone outside near the shore. I didn't like seeing the shore getting farther and farther away…whoa what…?

"We're moving!" Bella yelled, looking around. It was true. The rope holding us to the anchor on the lake floor was no longer attached, and it now floated in the waves off to the right.

It was a scary sight.

"I want to get off," Brooke cried, looking over at Bella.

Bella seemed to be the leader of the group, whether she knew this or not, and we looked to her for the decisions. The latest decision needed to be made…

What do we do now?

We all stared at her through the blurriness of the rain, and spat out mouths full of water that was pounding onto our bodies.

"You want to swim back to shore?" Bella yelled, nodding towards the ridge, and the docks.

We all nodded- except for Logan.

"I can't swim." She let her back fall onto the wood, and covered her face with her hands.

Couldn't swim? How could you not swim? You were supposed to know how to swim for situations like this. How fucking dumb!

Bella, like me, was shocked. But I masked my shock.

"We'll fuck, I'm going!" Brooke dipped her feet over the edge, and instantly, a wave came up over her, and nearly pushed her off to the other side. But even though it was getting rougher out, she slid into the waves, and slowly swam in the direction of the docks, which looked to be miles away- they only looked that way though.

I looked into Bella's eyes, and looked at her apologetically. She nodded.

She knew I didn't want to stay drifting on this thing. Who knew when it would flip, and then we'd be even farther from the shore than now.

I slipped into the choppy dark water, and hollered for Brooke to wait up- not that she had gotten very far…

When I reached her, I stuck to her side, and kept my head forward, and my eyes on the docks.

_I can do this…then we can get help for Logan. _But Bella better hurry up and come…what was she waiting for?

**-x-**

**BPOV**

One's true form really comes out of hiding in a crisis. I knew Tracy was a spineless girl, and only took care of herself. But I didn't expect that from Brooke; I thought she was the team player sort. But when it comes to gambling with your well being, it's alright to look out for yourself.

What wasn't alright was leaving Karen on this float by herself. Even though our relationship was rocky, I couldn't do that to her. If I were in her situation, and completely helpless, I'd be scared.

But Karen just sat up and stared at me. As if to say 'what's the plan'? I told her it.

"I'll swim beside you, and help you along. It should be fine." I watched her reaction to my plan, and she closed her eyes, and shook her head no. "I know it's scary, but imagine when this flips…now that's going to be scary. Let's get off this thing on our doing, not from the storm.

"Bella it's too far!" she yelled into the howling of the wind. I was shaking my head at this.

"No it's not. It's maybe a five minute swim." I lied. It would be five minutes if it wasn't storming, and if I wasn't carrying a fat girl who didn't know how to swim…

She groaned.

"Fine you little fucker. But I totally hate you right now for making me do this!" she crawled over to where I was sitting, and hitched an arm with me. We then dipped our legs into the water, ready to slip in.

"Just keep your eyes on the docks, and kick your legs-" I yelled, but she cut me off.

"I know _how _to swim, I just _can't._ I'm not coordinated, and I sink." She stared into the dark waters, and I could only imagine how nervous she was. I mean, I was nervous, and I was an awesome swimmer.

I looked down at my leg, and gulped. I hadn't factored in that…I'd have to suck it up.

_Oh well…maybe if I'm lucky I'll die._ I looked into Karen's eyes, and yelled. "Count of three!" she nodded and looked into the water. "1…2…3!" and we launched ourselves into the water, and I was instantly dragged deep into the darkness of the lake.

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Okay, I KNOW there are spelling errors, and the sentences are kinda run-ons and what not. I just felt so lazy, and wanted to pump this out. Tomorrow a new chapter will be up.

**Reviews are loved, and I thank you for the last reviews to the Alice chapter. I was pleased to see people enjoyed it.**


	13. Black

**Refresher of Last Chapter: **Bella and the girls are abandoned on a float in the middle of a lake, in the middle of a storm. Tracy and Brooke bail out after the float detaches from it's anchor, and Bella is left with fat Karen.

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Chapter 13: Black

**-x-**

_BPOV_

_I looked into Karen's eyes, and yelled. "Count of three!" she nodded and looked into the water. "1…2…3!" and we launched ourselves into the water, and I was instantly dragged deep into the darkness of the lake._

**-x-**

**EPOV**

More group activity.

The afternoon was dragging on, and Larry had kept us all in the mess hall to watch a presentation on drugs, and behavioural correction.

_Bella should be watching this…_

I didn't know what she was doing, or where she was. Guy hadn't come back up to the mess hall, so I couldn't read through his mind for information.

Hopefully _she_ was okay.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

To say Karen panicked wasn't quite the word I was looking for. I'd say she completely lost it…

As soon as our bodies hit the water, she stiffened and tried to climb onto me.

Of course, that only dragged us _both _down into the dark waters.

I struggled against her, and managed to get one of my arms free from her tight clutch on me, and I kicked and shoved us through to the surface.

"LOGAN!" I used her real name so she knew I was serious, "fuck off, smarten up, and kick!" I yelled at her, and she continued to clutch onto me and pull me under.

That's when I slapped her in the face, and she momentarily snapped out of it.

"Do I need to repeat myself!" I yelled through the pouring rain and waves at her.

She shook her head, and the look on her face was shear horror. I didn't blame her, but we had to get a move on.

"Look, you can swim. You're fine, let's go," I tugged her along beside me, and she clutched my arm and shoulder like her life depended on it.

Actually, her life sort of did depend on it…

Waves smashed us in the face, and the wind sprayed the rain directly into our eyes.

I was swearing and cursing out every person in my life as I swam.

"You okay Karen?" I spat out water in between words, and she nodded a yes. She wasn't ready to talk yet; the nerves had taken her voice.

I held her tighter to me, knowing that would make her feel more comfortable, and I pulled her along.

I was now carrying half her weight and all of mine. It didn't help that my leg stung like a mother fucker, and I was beyond out of breath.

Karen seemed fine. She wasn't tired at all. _Maybe because she wasn't even kicking…_

I looked up towards the docks, and only a 100 yards were left. Tracy and Brooke had already made it, and they were lying on the docks, exhausted from the swim.

_Psst, they didn't know exhaustion…just keep swimming, just keep swimming…swimming, swimming…_

**TPOV**

We made it. We survived the choppy water, and extreme rain and wind.

But why did I feel so guilty?

Oh, maybe because I left Bella out there with the bitch of the group. I could have stayed and helped her drag Logan back, but no, I get to watch her wrangle her in the last couple yards.

Maybe some day I'll take one for the team. But for now, I remain a spineless prick.

"Come on Bella!" Brooke yelled beside me, snapping me out of my self-hatred, "You're almost there!"

The waves were now incredibly high, and the rain wasn't giving up. The sky had turned pitch grey, and the clouds were swirling above us.

Stranding four teenage delinquents in the middle of a storm- on a lake- couldn't be legal. I would have to write home and curse at my mum for sending me here. _Yes, 'cause that_ _would make everything better…not._

I didn't have time to think of that stuff. Bella had made it back to the shore, and when she shoved Logan towards us, Brooke and I both lifted her fat ass onto the docks. It took every ounce of strength because Logan seemed to have gone into shock, and was not moving or helping us lift her up.

"Logan, out of the way!" Brooke yelled at her- what looked like- lifeless body on the docks. Logan just groaned and shook her head, and continued to lay on her back while the rain turned into ice pellets.

I shook my head, and watched as Brooke offered a hand to Bella, which she didn't take. Of course Bella didn't need a hand getting up out of the water. She was _the _Bella of the camp…

**BPOV**

Tracy just sort of stared at me as Brooke offered to help me out. I declined it. If I can swim with what felt like a half ton truck attached to me, I _think _I can get myself up- and I did fine.

"What's with her?" I looked down at Karen who was just lying on the dock, letting the ice pellets hit her in the face. I kneeled down to talk to her. "Hey Karen, tired out from the swim? I bet you are, considering you did all the work." _I hope she knows heavy sarcasm…_

She actually gave me a look that said 'fuck off', and it pissed me off. I laughed in her face, unable to wrap my head around the fact that gratitude did not exist in certain people.

"Glad to see you're thankful." I stood up and tried to remember why I had brought her back to the docks. I was shooting blanks.

"I think she's quite exhausted or traumatized. I'm going to go get help," Brooke looked at me to see if that was okay, and I shrugged. We were already in trouble for leaving our post; why not go get them before they got us?

Brooke left the docks, and I turned to watch her running towards the mess hall. Her body was blurry from the rain and ice pellets, and squinting didn't improve my sight through the rain.

"Karen, you don't need help. Stand the fuck up," I crossed my arms, and continued to look up at the mess hall, ready to wave at anyone who emerged from the building in this direction- not that they could see through the rain anyway.

Karen didn't move, but I heard her slightly growl a swear word under her breathe.

"Dude, you put on quite the façade. People think you're so tough, but I'm sure they'll love to learn that your one big fat _wuss_."

The moment the last word left my mouth, my feet were taken from under me, causing me to fall back. It was all in slow motion from there.

I was airborne, and I couldn't see anything from the rain. I only heard Tracy's gasp, her motionless feet staying in place, and the thud of the back of my head hitting the dock, and then the sound of water filling my ears.

Darkness surrounded me and maybe for once, I wasn't coming out of something alive.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

I was happy for bunk hour. It left an hour before supper to find where the hell Bella went off to. I was able to sneak out of our cabin easily; none of the boys paid attention to me because they were busy passing around a magazine they had bought off an older resident.

Outside, the weather reminded me of Forks- except ten times worse. It was a mix between rain and ice falling from the sky, and wind so hard it could do damage to human skin. _Like Bella's fragile skin…if only I could find her…_

I headed to her cabin in the woods, but I could only hear two voices chatting about how much they hated their group. Obviously Bella wasn't in there, or the rest of her group.

I headed away from her cabin, and towards the mess hall; maybe Bella and her group were finally eating breakfast. _They had to feed them sometime…_

I popped out of the forest, headed on the path towards the mess hall, when I bumped into Brooke- the girl from Bella's group. Just by the look on her face I knew something had happened, and that's when she started talking.

"Hi, where's the camp heads? I need one down at the dock!" she tried to brush past me, but I stepped in front of her. She clutched at her throat; the poor girl was scared.

_Please don't hurt me._

Hurt her? I just wanted to know what was at the docks. "What happened?" I looked at her with anxious eyes, and that only made her more nervous. She was sinking back into herself, and couldn't stop thinking '_please get out of my way!'_

"Sorry…"I said lowly, stepping aside. The moment I moved, she ran towards the mess hall, and the only thing I could read her saying was '_we're fucked'._

I ran towards the docks with a sick feeling in my stomach. What would I do if something else happened to Bella…this place was slowly killing her.

Relief washed through me when I saw her figure peering through the rain, straining to see towards the mess hall. I quickly ducked into the tree line, and made my way closer to her.

Logan, who was lying on the ground for some reason, was clearly bothering Bella; and maybe that's why Bella was provoking her.

But out of nowhere, Logan tripped Bella- and she plummeted into the water.

I stopped breathing.

I was out of the forest in two seconds, but I had to slow down when Logan saw me running towards her. I made it to the docks slower than I would have liked, and I was in the water before there was time to ask questions.

I shoved through the waves, and plummeted deep into the dark waters, and I couldn't see Bella anywhere. It had only been thirty seconds since she had been in the water, but I couldn't find her anywhere near the docks.

I swam farther away from them, counting down the time in my head a human can go without oxygen.

I stopped counting down when I saw her body near the lake floor, sinking deeper.

_Bella…_I didn't have time to think like that. I swam at vampire speed towards her, and wrapped my arms around her cold body; she was unconscious, not dead, just not breathing.

I pulled her above the surface of the water and heard a gasp of relief from Tracy, not Logan.

I tried to keep Bella out of the range of the waves, and made it back to the docks too quickly to make it look humanly possible. I didn't care; Bella's life was on the line, and Tracy was too busy offering me her hand to notice, and Logan was just dumb.

"Here pass her up," Tracy held out her hands, and I ignored her and got both myself and Bella out of the water faster than she could have.

"Fucking move." I told Logan, who then got up from the dock, and backed away from the place I set Bella.

I then started working on her, pushing down on her fragile chest, and then giving her breaths through her cold lips. I continued for a full minute, and she still wasn't coming back to me.

Her pulse was very weak, and her blue skin was terrifying me. "Breathe Bella!" I yelled at her lifeless, crumpled body, but I didn't stop working on her even though panick had struck in.

_Damn it Bella, why are you doing this? If you come back to me I will stop bothering you, and I will do whatever you want! PLEASE! _I yelled in my head at her.

That's when she finally took a breath, and I nearly passed out from relief.

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Shorter chapter, I know. Ignore the crappy sentence structure, I only finished this five minutes before posting.

**Don't worry, my next chapter will hopefully be better, I hope to spend more time correcting my mistakes and what not.**

**Anyway, I posted the chapter today like I said I would, hope you enjoy.**


	14. An Old Weakness

**Refresher of Last Chapter: **Bella helps Karen swim back to the docks, but Karen is angry for some reason (we'll find out later why), and takes it out on Bella. She trips her, and Bella ends up nearly drowning. Edward saves her, and gets her to breathe.

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Chapter 14: An Old Weakness.

**Tracy's POV**

_Bella's fine. _

I had to keep telling myself this.

_It's not that bad. _

Yeah, it's not that bad because she's been through a lot worse. That doesn't justify it as being okay.

_I'm spineless._

It's been an hour since Bella's been pulled from the water. The camp workers were too busy with Bella that they couldn't even deal with the rest of us yet. Instead, we were sent to our cabins early, and were not to come out under any circumstances.

I hope our cabin catches fire so they can eat their words.

We're not that lucky. Death is easy; waiting for something to come is a lot harder. And by something, I mean the wrath of Larry.

"Tracy, you okay?" Brooke cocked her head to the side and waited for my reply. I stared at her from under my bunk, and finally just turned over.

I liked facing the wall. The wall was my friend. It didn't judge me for being a pushover, or an introvert, or...the bad guy.

_Am I_?

_Yes you little fucker, you did nothing. Remember?_

_Oh right. _

But her superman came and saved her. Edward was just there, out of nowhere, and was able to swim through the water like nothing. No words could explain him. Maybe he was a Hero.

_The opposite of me…_

My new name should be Logan. I'm just as terrible a person as her. I may not have tripped her, but if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem- and that has _me_ written all over it.

Logan is insane though.

_Clearly._

I thought we were all getting along. But that's the beauty of this camp. No one's on your side, no one's sane, and no one's _normal._

I mean, this is _Camp Archstone: Facility for Troubled Youth_, and _everyone _is troubled.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Rick dragged me back to my cabin.

First he ignored my pleas to stay with Bella. Then he ignored my questions on what Larry was going to do with her. But he half answered them for me in his head.

_He can't touch her now. He's violated the code of conduct with her enough. He'll have to find his way to her another day, but not tonight._

Of course he had violated codes. I'm sure leaving residents alone, in the middle of a storm, was beyond law breaking- and a bit unethical.

Why was I always saving Bella? She was always in danger. This place couldn't get _any_ more toxic for her well-being. I needed to call Carlisle and get him to talk to Charlie.

Charlie is the one person who can pull her from the program, and by god, she needs to be pulled.

This camp is run by a bunch of high school drop-outs as it is. I haven't met one worker yet that has actually shown some potential to do any good in these kids' lives.

Their parents were throwing away money on a bullshit program, only guaranteeing to scare your kid, and trap them in a dead end. That's what you get when Larry decides to take charge.

But Larry is Larry. He runs this place like a cake walk. It's too easy for him to get away with stuff. Nothing is going to happen to him. He's the golden boy around here.

"Where are they taking Bella?" I asked quickly before he turned down the path, after walking me back to my cabin.

He shook his head like he knew nothing, but I caught his answer in his head.

_Probably the ward. She'll be safe there. No other residents._

I cringed at the word _ward_. It sounded so uninviting. She would probably be scared, and uncomfortable.

I wouldn't leave her there alone. I would never do that. I would never leave her.

_Except I already have in the past…_

**-x-**

**BPOV**

Larry was avoiding me. And I couldn't complain.

Apparently, he was in shit for dealing with us in an unconventional manner.

But Larry, I'm sure, will find a way to dig himself out. He's a saint. _He helps teenagers find themselves. _

Gag me.

Instead of dwelling on what was out of my hands, I yelled to the man upstairs who actually had an influence on the camp resident's future.

No, not God.

_Guy._

"GUY! CAN YOU COME HERE!" I yelled to him from the bottom floor in the camp worker's building. Yes, I was sitting in the infamous off-limits cabin. What a treat.

Guy slowly walked down the creaking stairs, which were connected to a small loft, and crossed his arms when he saw me lounging on an old couch in the corner of the room.

"Are we good?" I grinned up at his hard face, and lifted my legs to fully lay on the couch.

I was making myself at home, to say the least.

"Yes we are good." He walked across the room to look out the window, and continued to try and ignore my lame questions. But I had too many for him.

"Guy you should wear eyeliner. Why don't you? Then we could call it 'guyliner'. Get it? 'Cause that's what they call it when boys wear it, but it's also your name, so it totally makes for a good laugh, but you're not really laughing, and I've noticed you never do, and-" he cut off my senseless jabber.

"What happened to your leg?" he wasn't even facing me. He still peered outside, and pretended he wasn't really interested in the topic. But I knew he was curious. He must have noticed it awhile ago, and was building up courage to ask.

"It's nothing. Just a typical result of living at Camp Archstone." I covered my cut up leg with my other one, and sighed.

I watched him run his hands through his dark hair, and then he turned to look at me.

His face was blank.

I gave him a questioning look.

"I'm sorry about what happened today." He said lowly.

I would have blurted out that it was not a big deal, but he started pacing the room, searching for the words he needed to say.

"I knew it was stupid to leave you guys out there. Sometimes he crosses the line, and I could have prevented it. I don't want what happened in the past-" he actually cut himself off.

"What happened in the past?" I was interested all of the sudden. Dirt on Larry was gold in this place.

"Nothing."

_Bullshit. _

"Anyway…" he turned to look at me, and he couldn't keep his eyes off my leg.

I thought it was healing up pretty nicely. It still looked fucking raw, but it didn't sting and I wasn't limping anymore.

"I'll tell the camp nurse to give you some cream or something before you go to the ward." He nodded towards my leg.

I ignored that. I just swung my feet down onto the wood floor, and sat upright, staring into space.

"It's okay you know." I stared into his confused eyes.

"But it will get infected, you should be more careful-"

"No, I'm not talking about my leg. I mean about before. It's okay that you left us there. It's your job to listen to Larry."

"No it's not. Not when I know it's wrong."

That's when the awkward silence broke in, and we both had our eyes directed in separate parts of the room.

He was wrong though. Guy was a good person. He shouldn't feel bad.

I didn't tell him that though. It didn't seem right to be getting soft with a guard. He was not supposed to like me, and I was not supposed to like him. We had to be enemies in order for everything to work.

Luckily the camp nurse saved us from being suffocated by the silence in the room.

She strolled in through the front door with her perm and set of wrinkles.

_God bless her._

"Hello Miss Bella. All better I presume?" she held the door open, and smiled hugely at me.

"Yes. I have recuperated from the near drowning experience. I am better than ever. I think I would like to spend the night in my own cabin. I would be most comfortable there. I hope you understand." I stood up from the old couch, and walked over to where she was standing.

She was shaking her head. Not a good sign...

"I'm sorry. I do agree it would be better, but the camp rules are the camp rules. Residents who sustain any form of injury must take an overnight in the ward for observations, and to ensure a full recovery." She gestured me to walk through the door, and when she did that, it was the first time in my life I considered knocking an old lady to the ground.

_No, that's terrible…_I was laughing on the inside.

"I see. Well that's shitty." I sighed, and walked past her and out the door. Guy followed, and I slowed down to walk beside him, as the nurse flew past us to lead.

It was raining again, and the moon was covered over by the darkest storm clouds I had ever seen.

"I hope it doesn't thunder and lightning tonight. I hate thunder and lightning." I whined to Guy beside me.

"Actually, we're in for it tonight. It's going to be a big one." He said.

"Storm?"

"Yes."

_Dumb question._

"Well fuck me…" I trailed off, already dreading the night.

"I'm sorry?" he asked confused.

I laughed. "Nothing." I mocked his voice perfectly from when he had said that to me.

Out of the corner of his mouth, I saw him smile.

_Saw that._

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Did she forget that she nearly died a few hours ago?

Bella looked nothing but at ease in the camp workers cabin. She even laid back and had a good laugh with this Guy person.

I don't understand her. I want the old Bella back. This Bella, who doesn't know fear, and forgets to cringe under pressure, scares me. _Honestly_.

I can't stand watching her even now. She sits on the couch like she is at home, chatting with friends.

Maybe Guy is her friend. He's one guard in this camp who I can actually stand, and the head on his shoulders is a good one.

But I'm never going to forgive him for leaving Bella out in a storm. That was plain stupid. He knew it too. _Just stupid._

Suddenly, a nurse walked into the cabin and interrupted Bella and Guy. She informed Bella about where she'd be staying, which Bella didn't seem to like.

_Don't worry Bella, I won't be far._

Bella left the cabin with her, and Guy followed.

The night air was fresh, and I couldn't help noticing the dark storm clouds overhead.

Either could Bella.

"I hope it doesn't thunder and lightning tonight. I hate thunder and lightning" she actually whined, and I chuckled to myself, further down the path.

The old Bella was afraid of thunder and lightning. That fear stuck with her, and although it made her feel scared, it made me feel happy. It was a sign she was somewhere deep inside this tough outer shell.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

Being alone in a cabin that is apparently the "ward cabin" was creepy. It was on a dirt path near the lake, and surrounded by trees. Every so often, branches would scrape up on the window and outside walls, causing me to flinch.

"Fuck off!" I cursed at the cabin, and the branches. But both ignored me. The wind howled, and the branches scraped on.

_This night couldn't get any worse. _

Oh but it did.

**EPOV**

_**4am in the morning.**_

The thunder and lightening came, and watching Bella cringe under her blankets was torture.

Every crack of thunder she cried out to herself, begging it to stop, and every flash of lightening, she crushed her eyes closed even tighter.

_Do something for her!_ I yelled at myself in my head.

The thunder and lightening continued, and eventually, Bella sat up, and completely covered her head with her thin blanket, and started crying.

_She's crying! Get in there!_

So I listened to myself, and did.

**BPOV**

_God, it's me Bella. I've been such an asshole recently, and if you make this storm shut off, I'll…I will…pray more?_

A huge crack of thunder shook the frail cabin, and I began to cry.

_Okay okay!__ I'll be nice to everyone, even Logan! And I'll be nice to Edward, and I'll be nice to Larry. And I'll give up drugs…eventually._

The cabin door suddenly swung open, and a flash of lightening lit up my tent I had made with the shitty blanket.

_Fuck! I'm kidding God. I'm kidding! I'll give them up, I swear-_

I stopped praying when I heard footsteps.

_Kill me. Just kill me. _My stomach was so far up in my throat, I could have been chewing on it.

But it instantly fell when a voice spoke my name, and I covered my face with my hands to wipe away the tears that had been streaking down my face.

_Edward._

I heard the cabin door close, but that didn't stop the thunder. It kept coming louder, and I couldn't help but flinch.

He lifted the blanket up and slid under it. He sat across from me, and mocked my crossed-legged position.

Under the blanket was suddenly brighter when he turned on a flashlight. It turned the tent into a glowing pyramid.

"Thought you might still hate storms like this," he fidgeted with the flashlight and set it between us.

"You thought right."

He looked up at me from under his lashes, and I shook my head.

"It's so lame…" I trailed off.

He continued to stare, and I searched for my thoughts.

"I'm not afraid of shooting Heroin, smoking up crack, or passing out drunk in someone's car. I'm not afraid of driving over speed limits on a motorcycle, or getting caught smoking weed under the bridge of our High School. I'm not afraid to face Charlie when his friends from work drive me home in their police cruisers after curfew breaks. I'm not afraid to lie to my old boss, or cheat on tests, or even steal from the corner store…" I covered my face with my hands and then pulled them through my short messy hair.

"But put me in the middle of a thunder storm…" I gave a half ass grin, but it quickly fell off my face. "It still gets to me every time..." I whispered.

Out of nowhere, his arms wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me into his chest.

I didn't even care. I stayed close to him, and wasn't as scared by the storm anymore.

I had to admit to myself, having someone like Edward around, at a night like tonight, wasn't too bad.

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Review and tell me what you think. I'll probably update tomorrow night.


	15. Finally

**Brief Refresher of last chapter: **Bella is sent to a ward (basically just an isolated cabin in this case), and there happens to be a thunderstorm outside. She is terrified of thunder and lightening, and that's where Edward comes in and comforts her.

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Chapter 15: Finally

**BPOV**

"_Why are you still here?" I jumped out of my bed, and ran over to the window to see Sharon off in the distance, slowly making her way towards the __ward. _

_Edward didn't answer. He stayed leaning on the far wall, near the back door, just watching me._

"_Seriously, get out of here. You're bothering me." I crossed my arms, and he cocked an eyebrow at me._

"_Well, I can't keep up with you Bella. I thought we were friends now." He walked over to me, and I shook my head no._

"_Ha,__ please. We've never been 'just friends', and you know it." I laughed._

"_Well what does that mean…" he trailed his hand down the length of my arm, instantly raising the hair on the back of my neck._

"_I don't know."_

"_Well," he wrapped his arms around my waist and stared into my eyes, "are you willing to let me back into your life?"_

_I smiled, and wrapped my arms around his neck, with the intention to never let him go._

"_If that's what you want," I smiled._

_He grinned, and pulled me into the most intense lip lock I had ever experienced in my life._

And that's about when I woke up- screaming.

My heart was pounding from watching my life go in the wrong direction a few seconds ago.

I couldn't let _that _happen. I would _never _go back to that.

"What's wrong?" a voice asked from across the cabin.

I looked over to see Edward making his way towards me with a worried look on his face.

Why the fuck was he still in the ward with me? Sharon would be here any minute to come and get me.

"Nothing." I said too quickly, "Just a really, really terrifying nightmare."

He looked confused. But he continued walking closer to me.

Major Déjà vu flashed through my brain. I suddenly realized my dream was slowly playing out.

"Not another step!" I jumped off my bed, and hurried over to the back door and swung it open. "You need to leave!" I said anxiously, nodding at the exit he _had_ to take.

"I can't keep up with you Bella. I thought we were friends now." He had a confused look on his face.

_Fuck. Just avoid it. _

"You thought wrong."

I watched his reaction- or lack there of really…

He straightened up, put his eyebrows into a furrowed line, and hardened his jaw. It was clear; he wasn't going to say anything. He was too let down by my answer.

_Say something Bella…_

"I don't want you in my life." I whispered.

I waited for the wrath of Edward to shake the room, but it didn't come.

He simply walked up to me, and stared deep down at my face. Our eyes locked.

"If that's what you want." His stare pierced through me, and I had to look away from him.

By the time I looked up again, he was already through the door, and hopefully, out of my life for good.

_Sorry. _I thought to myself, but I was too scared to say it out loud. Or maybe it was because I knew I actually wasn't…

**-x-**

**APOV**

Rosalie refused to drive me to and from school anymore, but that didn't bother me. I told Jasper and the rest of them I enjoyed the free time to walk and think.

And it was as I was walking and thinking that a vision came to me.

I was expecting it to be the reoccurring one of a wilted looking Bella, being yelled at by some man.

But it wasn't. And it was not at all what I was expecting.

It was of Edward and me fighting. We were in his room, and I couldn't quite see what we were arguing about.

And then it ended.

It didn't make sense. That wasn't quite anything new.

Edward and I fighting was normal…unless…he was coming home.

_Yes, he was coming home. _

_Fuck._

I pulled out my cell phone and dialled Carlisle. He needed to know Edward failed on his mission, and probably needed a ride out.

I smiled as I put the phone to my ear and listened to the dial tone.

_Bella can finally be left alone and finally make a full recovery…_

I crossed my fingers and grinned even bigger.

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Short, so I will update later tonight.


	16. Carpe Diem

**Refresher of last chapter: **Bella has a dream that she falls for Edward again. This completely freaks her out, so she kicks him out of her life- which Edward agrees to.

Alice also has a vision of a fight between her and Edward, and assumes he is on his way home.

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Chapter 16: Carpe Diem

**EPOV**

I was leaving the camp, but that didn't mean I was leaving Bella.

Technically, we would no longer be in the same state, but that's what needed to happen in order for her to recover.

She was angry with me for past issues, and that was hurting her recovery. I needed to make an adjustment to help her, and my leaving was the right decision. I'd wait until she was fully back to being herself, living in Forks, until I came near her again.

Hopefully she'd have dropped the grudge by then, and gotten back to the fun loving, full of life Bella I used to know.

I once said Bella couldn't handle this camp, but I was wrong. Bella isn't the same girl I knew from Forks. She can handle everything, and I've seen that these past few days.

She's wild. She's a smartass. She likes breaking the rules. She's not afraid of authority. All these new traits further proved that my old Bella had disappeared.

Maybe if I get the hell out of here she'll smarten up, and stop resisting the camp counsellors. I just have to cross my fingers extra hard for a miracle to happen, and maybe my old Bella will return to me.

"There's your dad, Cullen." Guy pointed towards the car entering the entrance, and it came to a halt.

I sighed.

I promised myself I wouldn't second guess my decision, but I would always ask myself if this was really the smartest thing to do.

_It is. Just go._

Bella will be fine. As long as she doesn't act out any worse, and doesn't mix with the wrong crowd here, she'll get better. _Eventually…_

"Alright Guy, thanks for everything." I sincerely meant that too. He was one camp worker I trusted with Bella.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," he turned and headed back inside the mess hall. I slowly walked down the stairs, and paused at the end.

_See you later?_ I would hope not.

I shook my head, and just as I was about to move towards the car, out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella hiding at the edge of the woods.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

I still remember the shock of seeing Edward for the first time at Camp Archstone. It was the opposite of what I was feeling now, watching him leave.

When he paused at the edge of the mess hall stairs, and then continued towards the car, relief washed through me. _It felt good_.

I'm not sure if Edward saw me hiding behind a tree, although it was most likely he did. I just needed to make sure he got into that car, and it sped away in order for my vacation to truly begin.

_Yes, a vacation._

I needed to start enjoying myself. Whether that be through behaving, misbehaving, getting out there, or laying low- I was going to _live. _

_Even if it kills me. _I grinned when he got into the car. _See you Edward! Make sure you forget to write!_

I stopped grinning when I saw Larry out on the mess hall deck, staring at the car. _What was he doing?…_he suddenly looked in my direction, and I gasped.

"I SEE YOU OUT THERE! DON'T EVEN TRY HIDING!" he was already descending the stairs at a quick pace, and I did the only thing I knew how to do; I fucking ran through the woods.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

When I sat down beside Carlisle, he gave me _a look_. It was the sort of look you gave someone when you knew you were right, or instead of gloating 'I told you so' right in their face.

"I know Carlisle…you were right," I sighed. He didn't say anything, and I turned my head to see Larry out on the deck.

"I SEE YOU OUT THERE! DON'T EVEN TRY HIDING!" he yelled towards the woods.

I snapped my head in the direction of the woods, and laid my hand on the car door handle, ready to jump out if anything went bad.

But I stopped myself.

_Bella can take care of herself. _Besides, Larry can't even see who it is from where he's standing.

I pulled my hand away from the door, crossed my arms, and banged my head against the seat head.

Carlisle laughed.

I looked at him through my venomous eyes, and gave him a look that said 'drive'.

"Okay Edward, it just doesn't look like you're on board with leaving Bella." He laughed, and I closed my eyes, and pretended I didn't hear Larry yelling for Bella in the distance.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

I ran through the woods, slipping in between branches and trees, and cutting through paths that would get me to my cabin quicker- or at least I thought.

My short cut wasn't exactly a short cut at all. In fact, I had no idea where I was running to. Dirt paths just led to more dirt paths, and then eventually, I was back in the middle of the woods, without a path at all.

This freaked me out, and finally, I just ran straight in one direction, and got back onto an unfamiliar dirt path.

_What the fuck! How huge is this camp__?__…_I picked up my pace, and I actually started panicking. I needed to get back to my cabin before Larry or anyone proved my absence.

But suddenly the path came to an end; and also a new beginning for me.

To the right of the path was a small clearing, which provided a sitting area for a small group of teenagers in Camp Archstone attire.

My eyes widened. Not from the group of rebel residents; but from what they were doing.

Some were in the middle of shooting up, a few were passing joints, and a couple were passed out.

"You're fucked," a thin looking boy stood slowly, and that's when I went to turn and run.

I ran quickly down the path._ Oh my god! How the hell did those scary kids get all the good loot! _But I didn't have a chance to answer my own question.

I was suddenly close lined, and jolted down to the ground, and my back smashed into the dirt path.

"What the fuck," I groaned in pain from the impact, and looked up into a blurry face.

"Where are you going hun?" a tall girl, with short boy hair stood over me, and I closed my eyes when several other people came from behind her.

"Back to my cabin…" I opened my eyes, but didn't get up from the ground. They all stared down at me, and I stayed lying down like a wounded deer.

I was out numbered.

"That's right," a thin boy with dark bags under his eyes said, "And who are you going to talk to about this?" he crossed his arms, and held his chin with one of his frail looking hands.

I didn't answer right away. I was too scared to give them the wrong answer.

Someone from the right kicked my side, and I swore out from the jab of pain.

"Okay! You don't have to do that, I won't say a word," I stared at one of the residents who was holding a joint between his index finger and his thumb. The inside of my tongue and cheek started to tingle, and my fingers started to twitch- it didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh my god, you're a user?" the thin boy said, throwing his head back to laugh, "We really do come in all types-"

"Scott, shut up," the girl with boy hair said. She glared at me. "Say a word to anyone, you die."

I nodded. I was afraid of these residents. They were like the type I dealt with back at home, where I got my stuff from. You didn't want to get into trouble with them.

But at this very moment, I envied them. They had found a way to beat the system, and they could continue living their lives the way they wanted.

I wanted that. No. I_ needed_ that.

Then an idea came to mind. "Could I join you guys sometime-" I was cut off by the thin boy.

"Hell fucking no!" He grabbed me by the arm, pulled me to my feet, and shoved towards the way I came from.

I stood and stared at the joint in his hand, my eyes transfixed on its perfect form…

"Get out of here!" the girl yelled.

I snapped out of it, and ran away.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

Bella was out of breath by the time she got to our cabin.

"Dude, where've you been?" Brooke asked, standing up from under her bottom bunk.

I leaned forward from under my bunk, while Bella leaned on the doorway of the cabin.

She shook her head. "Same shit, different day…," she panted, still shaking her head.

Now Logan was interested, and she leaned over her top bunk, and looked down to stare at Bella, who in turn stared back.

Logan and Bella hadn't talked since the 'incident'. Actually, Logan hadn't talked to anyone.

"Bella, I need to tell you something..." Logan pulled her legs over the ledge of the bunk, but didn't go to jump down. She just looked at her feet, and said nothing.

Was Lila Logan going to _apologize?_ I looked anxiously from Bella, who stood posed at the door, to Logan, who was taking deep breaths.

"Anytime now…" Bella said.

Everyone's eyes were on Logan, who had an angry look back on her face.

Maybe she wasn't going to apologize after all.

"You know what, when you say things like that, it just makes me change my mind about you. Never mind then." She jumped down from the bunk, and headed straight for the door- until Bella's arm stretched out to stop her.

My jaw dropped, and Logan gave her a death stare that had me nearly pissing my pants.

"I forgive you," Bella said, without any joking tone to her voice or sarcastic look on her face. She looked blank.

Logan swore, and shoved past her.

_Bitch._ But Bella apparently didn't think that. As she watched Logan walk up the path, the corner of her mouth formed into a slight smile.

No matter how long I was here at Camp Archstone, there weren't enough hours in a day to figure out Bella Swan, and how she could keep her cool so easily.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

I gave Karen her space, and took my time getting up to the mess hall.

Forgiving Karen was easy. I knew her stubborn kind. She felt guilty, I could tell by the look in her face, but she was too fucking scared to admit it. For now, I had to be the bigger person, and forgive her first.

Besides, being tripped usually doesn't result in drowning. She just wanted to piss me off, not almost kill me- let's hope.

I looked up at the sky, which was the polar opposite of yesterdays. The sun was already up, lighting the blue sky perfectly, and highlighting the fluffy white clouds. There was a slight breeze that rustled the tree branches, and almost made the camp seem serene.

_Almost. _

I was five feet from climbing the stairs to the mess hall, when Larry came out of nowhere- _like he always seemed to do_.

He grabbed the top of my shoulder to stop me from walking past him. "Where've you been?" his eyes accused me of doing something wrong.

I hadn't…well, not really.

"My cabin," I said. That was half true.

He tightened his hold on me, and when I tried to turn away from him, I saw my druggie buddies, from earlier this morning, hiding in the woods ten meters away.

"I'm going to ask one more time, and you're going to want to tell me the truth this time…where did you go?" he glared at me through his scary dark eyes, and that's when something in my mind clicked.

I didn't care if I got hurt. I didn't care if he yelled. I didn't care about what happened to me. Because in the end, everyone goes down; and I wanted to go down hard.

"Okay, okay. I was at your mum's place," I looked over towards the druggies who were watching me, and they had horror plastered to their faces. _I am so lame…and so dead…_

Larry then plastered horror across my face; with one swift blow from his fist.

I fell to the ground instantly, and lost sight for ten seconds out of my right eye. The left one, along with the lip, were then taken out by the tip of his steel toe boot.

I kneeled on my hands and knees, spitting blood, and the only thing I could think of at the moment was how badass I looked.

_God I'm so lame…_I grinned, and kept my eyes on the ground.

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!" he yelled out of nowhere.

I flinched from his voice. I didn't care how hard he yelled at me, I wasn't giving up any information.

He was really letting me get to him.

"You're a piece of crap! No one wants you, and now I have to deal with you!" he kicked me in the ribs, and pain pumped anger through my veins.

I glared up at him. _Keep telling yourself that. Everyone wants a piece of me…_

He kicked me in the face and that's when I flipped onto my back, and everything went black.

_**45 seconds later…**_

"Dude, don't touch her…" a raspy girl's voice said.

"I didn't. I was just seeing if she's alive," a guy responded.

I tried to open my eyes, but I could only manage to peer up at the familiar figures through the slits of my eyes- and it hurt.

"You sure know how to take a punch, girly," the thin boy leaned down and peered into my bruised up face. It was the boy from the woods, and beside him, the girl with boy hair stood with her arms crossed- smiling.

_Smiling? _Glad I was making someone's day.

I groaned at the situation. It just felt appropriate.

The boy laughed, the girl looked at him, and they both nodded.

"You want to be apart of our group huh?…" she kneeled down next to me, and I nodded.

"Yes." I looked up at the boy, and he was still grinning.

"If you want in, you're all the way in," she held out her hand palm up, "got it?"

I grinned, and more blood oozed from my lip. I slapped my hand down onto hers, and nodded.

She pulled me up onto my feet "You're in. Welcome to _Carpe Diem._"

_Carpe Diem…_whatever that meant. It probably wasn't a good thing that I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into.

_Whatever. I was in._

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I hope you like it. It took longer than I thought because I was second guessing myself on what I wanted to happen. Now I know, and I have everything planned out. Sweet!

**Anyway, I would love to read some reviews.**


	17. Good Idea?

**Refresher of last chapter: **Edward leaves Bella at the camp. That's when Bella decides to start living for herself again. She gets lost in the woods, and comes across a group of teenagers using drugs. They tell her to get lost after rejecting her, and to _never_ tell anyone.

Bella then reconciles with Karen (sort of), and shortly after, gets the shit beat out of her by Larry- which doesn't go unnoticed by the druggies watching in the woods. They respect that Bella didn't blurt out what she had been up to in the woods, and they accept her into their crew, _Carpe Diem_.

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Chapter 17: Good Idea?

**APOV**

Edward wasn't pleased that we had uprooted, and returned to Forks. He said it wasn't good to count your chicks before they're hatched. But I was confident. I would bet money that Bella would get better in a couple weeks, as long as she set her mind to it.

Although, I wasn't exactly having good luck when it came to pleasant visions of Bella. I wasn't looking for anything, but they were finding me.

Like the newest one, which came to me while Edward was on his way home with Carlisle.

_Bella's face was terribly bloody, and she was shaking hands with __a__ scary looking, tall girl._

"_You're in. Welcome to Carpe Diem." She told Bella._

_Bella was grinning. Grinning and spitting blood, that is. She seemed pleased with herself. _

That wasn't a good thing. Bella shouldn't be happy in Camp Archstone. She should be working hard, and wanting to get out- and the only way to get out was with good behaviour, and getting better.

Maybe she wasn't exactly on the track she needed to be on right yet- but she'd get there. Minor set backs were common; especially when it came to her.

Edward didn't need to know that though…he was already in one of his moods- and it had only been a day since his return. His attitude would only get worse as he stayed away from her. There was no living with him…

"Alice. Jesus Christ, where have you been?" Jasper came up from behind me, and I turned around just in time to receive the tightest hug.

I shrugged out of his tight hold on me, and answered him nonchalantly.

"Oh, you know…I just know it's going to be hard living with Edward…for the time being…" I stared up into his intense eyes, and I suddenly felt uneasy.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. He was throwing all sorts of terrible emotions towards me.

"Doesn't feel good, does it? That was me, for the past day, not knowing where you went off too," he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't give me that. Imagine what it would be like knowing I was fighting addiction, and living with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, fucked up as ever. That's Bella and Edward's reality…" I turned to look at his face, which was stone.

He didn't say anything. He knew I was still angry with life, and how unfair it was. He just crept out of my room instead.

I thought he was doing that for me, but that's when Edward came in after him.

_Damn it._

"Alice, where've you been, I needed to talk to you!" he ripped his hands through his hair, and swore under his breath.

"Prior commitments. I don't drop everything I'm doing because Edward Cullen has returned to Forks!" I said this with extreme enthusiasm, which pissed him off.

"Alice! Just tell me how she's doing!" he smashed my lamp to the floor; a million pieces went everywhere.

_Hmm…reminds me of Bella's destroyed face…_I pictured her bloody lip, and swollen eyes.

Edward gasped, and his eyes blackened over. He gripped my desk chair tightly, as if he was going to fall over. "How did it happen?" he yelled, turning away from me, and smashing a hole through my wall.

"Are you that surprised? I mean, come on, it' Bella…" I trailed when he slowly turned and glared at me. "Okay, okay…Larry punched her." I bit my lower lip.

My other table lamp went flying across the room, shattering to pieces like its twin. Next to go was my book shelf, which ended up in splinters- along with my favourite books.

My room was going to shreds, and Edward was getting on my nerves. _Two could play at that game… _

"Well, maybe most of the blood was from the kick-" his head snapped towards me before I could finish, and suddenly, he was two inches from my face, eyes blacker than black, jaw tighter than ever.

"Bella is in trouble, and you find that humorous…you're_ sick_ Alice," he turned to leave, and that's when I played the vision of a grinning Bella, shaking hands with what probably was the devil.

Edward stopped in his steps.

A devious smile formed across my face.

Edward covered his face with his hands.

"I'm not the only one who finds this _humorous_," I stopped replaying the glee in Bella's eyes, and the happy look on her face.

"Why's she doing this?" he whispered.

_Major déjà vu…_would that question ever be answered?

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

After a full day of doing drills, and more group work, we were all ready for a good night sleep.

Except Bella. She was actually the opposite of tired- she was fucking wired.

"Guys are you seriously going to sleep?" she hung her feet from her top bunk, and swung them like a child. She seemed really antsy, and jumpy.

"Yes, my fuck, you were doing that group workout today- it was fucking hell! I'm tired, shut up…" Logan groaned, and Bella laughed.

"Gosh Karen, I fucking hate you sometimes, but God love ya, you're keeping it real around here," she was laughing by the end of her compliment, and Logan actually laughed.

"God Bella, you sound high," she turned over on her bunk, and covered her face with the blanket.

Bella didn't deny it. She didn't say anything.

_She probably is…_I turned over on my mattress, and ignored Logan's comment.

This was Camp Archstone, and there wasn't anyway to get your hands on that sort of thing. Except for…no. Bella wasn't _that_ dumb to mix with that sort…

I closed my eyes, and tried to wipe the images of the scary looking residents whom have reputations of being up to no good.

_Bella wasn't that dumb…_

**-x-**

**BPOV**

Maybe I shouldn't have accepted that one joint from Scott, but who was I to reject an old past time? It's such a high schooler thing to do.

I inhaled the joint in the woods, during bunk hours- and I didn't have to share it with anyone.

It was great. Life was great.

Back inside the cabin, everyone was going to bed, but I needed to get out, and go insane. _I needed to…_

But not tonight. I promised my other crew I wouldn't get caught high. I couldn't piss them off right off the back, right when they were in the beginnings of trusting me.

I just needed to hang tight until I got my hands on the treasure chest; crack- the real prize for living here.

**-x-**

Morning came, then it passed.

Lunch came, then it passed.

Supper came. I didn't go.

I was sick- or at least that's what I told Sharon to sneak out into the woods.

Our crew were to meet in the woods at twilight. I followed path after path, and took shortcut after shortcut, until I returned to the dead end path that is now _my life._

"You're late," the girl with boyish hair stood up from a log. I didn't look her in the eyes, I was too busy staring at the people behind her, already getting started on tonight's festivities.

My heart rate picked up.

"What's wrong with you, never attended a group session before?" she stood up onto a log, and looked down at the rest of the group who were shooting up…_heroin_.

I shook my head.

Of course I had done heroin before. I just thought I was done with it. I'd much rather do crack, but if heroin was all that was around…fuck it, I'm in.

"Heroin is great…it's just, how the hell did it find its way to the camp?…" I stared at Scott, who was already off in his own mind, enjoying the euphoric feel of the heroin entering the blood stream.

The girl with boy hair snapped her head towards me, and jumped down from the log. She eyed me curiously as she walked right up in front of me.

I stood still.

"What is your name…?" she circled me, and I kept my eyes and head straight.

"Bella," I flinched when she suddenly whipped around to face me.

"And how long have you been here?" she cocked an eyebrow when I had to count back in my head.

"Umm…" I couldn't remember an exact number. "Not long?"

She laughed. "You're clearly new," she turned to walk back over to the group, and I followed. She patted a spot on the log next to her, and I took a seat.

"How so?" I looked anxiously at the other group members, none of whom I knew. They weren't paying attention to me anyway; they were _busy_.

She dug into a backpack, full of needles, and heroin bags, and god only knows what.

"You're not very confident. You second guess your decisions, and you're very unsure of yourself," she pulled out a needle, and stared at my face.

I glared at her.

That was not true. I was the shit. I was tough….compared to the other losers back at camp…oh my god…I'm so spineless compared to this crew.

"You know I'm right," she pulled out a heroin bag, and tossed it into my hands.

I didn't deny it. I just wanted to change the conversation; direct it away from me.

"What the fuck does _Carpe Diem_ mean anyway?" I shifted on the log when she looked at me like a child.

"You're serious?"

I nodded. _Yeah__…_

"It means '_Seize The Day'_. It's a motto of ours. Are you going to live by it?" she handed me a syringe, and I took it into my sweaty hand.

I looked at it, and sighed.

_Seize the day, Bella…you fucking wimp. _I slowly filled the needle with the liquid in the bag, and tapped the needle.

I sighed, and injected it slowly into the crease of my arm.

_Holy fuck that hurts._

I looked up at the girl when I pulled out the needle, and she took it back from me, and chucked it into a brown paper bag.

Already I was feeling at ease, and I felt comfortable in my surroundings.

"Oh, by the way," she said, "You can call me Hatcher."

I ignored her. Everything around me felt so good. Was I melting?

Time didn't seem to drain on, and that's what I loved about this new crew of mine. I was at home, and I knew I had made the right decision on joining.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Time was even slower without Bella.

I don't remember what it was like living without her before I had come to Forks. My life was a pointless existence, and then she opened my eyes, and gave me a reason to live.

I ran deeper through the woods after catching a glimpse of a vision Alice had received not even ten seconds ago.

_Bella was shooting up heroin._

I growled.

Just reliving the images in my head had me fighting myself on the decision of leaving her.

I'd give her one month.

One month to turn around. And if she failed to do so…_I don't even know._

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**Next chapter will be up later on.**

**Okay****, so this chapter was more of a filler. It didn't have too much going on, but I had to get the some information out of the way.**


	18. Disappearing Act

_**A/N: **_Okay this is my second update today, so if you haven't read the other chapter (chapter 17), you might be a bit lost.

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Chapter 18: Disappearing Act

_**Three Weeks Later…**_

**BPOV**

"Why aren't you eating?" Brooke looked down at my empty plate.

Lately, I hadn't been eating. I had lost my appetite- and I was starving for something else.

I looked across the room towards Hatcher, and she was deep in conversation with someone from her own group. They were laughing, and enjoying themselves- they were probably friends.

I wonder if she told her about her _other_ group of "friends"…

My eyes circled back to my own table, and met with three pairs of curious eyes.

I sighed.

I was having that dilemma. _To tell or not to tell…_

"Not hungry…" I cupped my chin in my hands, and ignored their stares into my face. I couldn't stop thinking about right and wrong.

It was right of me to keep _Carpe Diem_ a secret, because that could get us into trouble. It was wrong of me to keep it a secret from my group, because honestly, I trusted them- we were friends now.

Even Karen and I were tight. We fought everyday, but that didn't mean anything. At the end of the day, we trusted each other.

"You look…different…" Brooke trailed off when I glared at her, and she got back to eating her cereal.

Karen wasn't afraid of confronting me though.

"Seriously though. You're thin as fuck, your skin is translucent, you smell like crap, and your eyes are either bloodshot, dilated, or carrying huge dark bags under them," she slid out from the table and picked up her plate, "I know _exactly _what is going on with you," she looked over towards Scott, who was completely oblivious to our fight, and she turned and left the table.

She was right. _Everyone_ knew. I was back on the drugs, and I wasn't sharing the prize with my friends.

_Fuck me…_

I looked at the only two girls remaining at the table, and suddenly realized our group was lacking some bodies.

"Where are the twins?" I stared at the two empty chairs where the two outsiders of our group normally sat.

Tracy looked at Brooke with wide eyes, but Brooke shook her head at me.

"Are you seriously noticing their disappearance just now?" she slammed her hands on the table, and pushed herself up out of her seat, "How strung out are you! They've been gone for weeks now!" she walked off into the eruption of the bodies of the mess hall.

_Weeks?_ I covered my face with my hands.

"You know..." a small voice said to the far left of me. I looked up to see Tracy staring at the table in front of me. "You'll never get out of here."

I shook my head at her. "No one does. This place is hell," I stood up and began to walk away, until Tracy shook her head at me.

"Not true. Where do you think Kristen and Kim went off to?" she said lowly.

"Who?"

"_The twins_, or whatever you used to call them. They got to go home. They proved that they shouldn't have been here to begin with."

My jaw dropped. That wasn't fair.

"God, I am so out of it lately…" I pulled my fingers through my hair, "I just…wait, then why the fuck are you still here? You've been good."

She shrugged. "I haven't participated in a single group activity, I stay to myself, and I don't mingle with other people. That's not a good sign of a healthy teenager…" she laughed, and I didn't know why.

She continued to stare down at the table, and wouldn't make eye contact with me.

I sighed. "Okay. We need to talk. Go tell the girls to gather in the cabin," I pointed towards the doors, and she nodded, and stood.

She finally made eye contact with me, and her dark eyes scared me. They were so innocent, and pure- someone like her shouldn't be in Camp Archstone. There must have been a mistake.

She walked away, out of the mess hall, and that's when my eyes fixed on another pair of dark eyes- definitely not as innocent as hers.

Hatcher glared at me from across the room, and I sunk back into myself.

She really was one mysterious looking girl. With her haircut, and fierce jaw line, she sort of reminded me of…_Alice._

I had completely forgotten about her. She used to be such a constant in my life, and then when my alter ego took over…she just vanished out of my mind.

Alice was a great friend. I _missed_ her…

I snapped out of it. I didn't need to be going into a depression over a vampire who was holding me back from a little fun.

_Damn I need to get high…_

**-x-**

"Are you going to tell us how your getting the crack or not?" Karen asked. Brooke elbowed her in the side, which she swore at. "Don't fucking touch me you prick, you know you're wondering it too!"

Brooke and Karen started arguing, and I closed my eyes to try and drown out their voices.

I had asked them to meet me back in our cabin to 'talk', but sitting across from the three of them, all sitting on Karen's bunk while I sat on mine, was making me chicken out.

"You know what, get off my bunk bed Brooke. You've lost the privilege to sit with the mature kids of the group, now get off," she shoved her towards the edge, and Brooke yelped.

That's when I spoke up.

"Okay okay! I'm using again!" I screamed at the girls, right before Brooke was nearly shoved off the top bunk.

"No shit!" Karen let go of Brooke, and pointed to my arms, "If the bruises on your arms aren't proof enough, we could figure that out from your eyes, your disappearing acts, and how dumb you've been acting."

I nodded.

"Now tell us something we don't know," she crossed her arms and glared at me.

Well they know about the drugs…what else is there to tell? I couldn't call out my other crew. Not because Scott, Hatcher, and those other losers were my friends, but because I would get killed if I did.

"That's it…" I looked up at them, and Karen was shaking her head, Brooke looked frustrated with me, and Tracy was blank.

These were my friends. The only people in my life right now that gave a shit about me, and I was hiding from them, and keeping a secret from them…

"Fine." I covered my face with my hands, and then groaned into them. I looked up with a serious look on my face, "I will drop you fuckers if you speak a word about what I am about to tell you to anyone!"

Karen grinned, and sat up straight. "We swear, now dish it!"

"Okay shut up!" I crossed my legs on my bunk, and let my hands drop into my lap, "I joined this crew of people who-"

"FUCK OFF RIGHT NOW!" Karen covered her mouth, and her eyes were wide. "You're with…_Carpe Diem_?" She whispered the last part, and I cocked an eyebrow at her, but nodded slowly.

She burst out laughing. "YOU'RE DEAD! You are such a goner!" she shook Brooke, who was sitting like a stone next to her. "Tell her Brooke!"

"I don't know about dead….but…I don't know…" she was talking to the ceiling, afraid to make eye contact with me.

"I am not _dead_. And how the fuck do you know about _Carpe Diem_?"

"Psst, please Bella. While you were getting into fights with Larry, and getting locked up in isolation buildings, we were hearing rumours…word travels fast, let's just say."

"What?"

"Yup," Brooke jumped down from the top bunk, and took a seat on the edge of the bottom one, "The older residents told us about it, or at least what they heard about it…" she rolled her eyes at something, _"Seize the Day" _is apparently how they live- and that's how they die."

Fuck they knew so much. But the dying stuff was just them being dramatic.

"God you're the shit to get mixed up in that kind of stuff!" Karen was still grinning.

I rolled my eyes at her. "You're not funny. You don't even know what it's like to be around them," I fell onto my back, and covered my forehead with my arm. My head was beginning to pound. I hadn't had a smoke, or a hit of anything in the last 48 hours. I was beginning to get hitched again.

"Tell us about it then," Tracy whispered.

I sighed. "Well…I don't like _any _of them. I don't even really know any of them, and I only know two of their names- which one of them seems fake."

"Hatcher," Karen said, "She's the one with boyish features. She's apparently the longest staying resident of this camp."

How the fuck did she know this crap? How long had she been holding out on me.

"How long has she been here?"

"She was sent here when she was thirteen. She's seventeen now. You do the math."

Brooke gasped with me.

"Seriously?" I whispered.

"Something like that."

"How do you know all of this?" I leaned up on my elbows, and eyed her suspiciously.

"I've been talking to Landon, one of the guys in the other newbie group, and he heard it from somewhere else," she said this matter of factly, like there was no way of it being false since it was from _Landon._ I didn't even know who this Landon guy was…

Then again, I was never around anymore it seemed. And when I was, I was high…

"Anyway, I meet with them whenever they get their hands on new shit, and all I have to do is show up, and they share it with me."

"For now," Karen said.

"What does that mean?" I glared at her, and she held her hands up in the air like she was the most innocent thing.

"Soon they're going to start expecting things from you. Get out now; stop doing the drugs until you get fully hooked again. Because they're baiting you, and when they have you depending on them for survival in this camp, they'll start yanking at you," she shrugged when I shook my head.

That wasn't true. I didn't want it to be anyway. But Karen seemed to know more about this crew of people than I did.

"Well, even if that is or isn't true…it doesn't matter. I'm not sure if I want to stay around with them anyway…they scare me."

Brooke laughed. "Yeah, no shit. You hanging out with them is scaring _me_. I'm like afraid of you now…I'm afraid you'll cut me in the middle of the night." Everyone broke out into laughter, except me.

I probably would if I started acting like them…I wouldn't let that happen.

**-x-**

**APOV**

Edward had cleaned up my room while I was out hunting. It looked like he had a bit of help from Esme too; the lamps matched too perfectly for Edward to have done it himself.

I sighed, and examined the books that were placed back into a new white shelf.

_Go apologize for being a bitch_…

I turned and left my room, and entered Edward's. He was sitting on his couch, looking at the wall.

_How depressing…_

"You have no idea…" he whispered.

I really didn't. I still had Jasper. My life was the same. I only lost a dress up doll, and a good friend, but I could live.

"Edward, I'm sorry for being so insensitive. I don't know what's gotten into me lately, it's just-"

"You miss her too."

I stopped abruptly, and put my hands on my hips. "No, I don't. Not the girl who's at camp…"

He knew what I meant. He nodded.

"It's almost been a month…." He said lowly. He stared at his hands.

"I know."

"There's still no change. That crew she is hanging out with…is she going to stay with them?" he turned to look at me, and I shrugged.

"I don't know. Her future has been jumpy lately. She can't decide. She knows that they're bad news, but she wants the drugs so bad…she's getting dependent on them again, you know."

He shook his head. He was getting frustrated.

"I don't know though, I'll check again," I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on Bella, and what her future held.

I saw white, and I gasped.

"What was that?" Edward stood up anxiously, and came over to hold me by the shoulders. "Alice look at me!"

What was wrong with me! I couldn't see her future; I couldn't even find her…

"I can't find her…" I whispered.

His eyes widened, and I pulled away from him.

"How did you let this happen!" he yelled. "How long ago did this happen! Were you not even watching!"

I cringed, but I knew it wasn't my fault. He was overreacting.

"Fuck off Edward! I have been watching her future day in and out! Today is the first time it's happened!" I shoved past him, but he beat me out of his room.

"Better be, because if she's hurt….or…" he didn't finish, but I knew what he was going to say.

He was yelling Carlisle's name, and was out of the house before I could even tell him to calm down. I wasn't quite sure where he was headed, but if I had two guesses I'm sure I could figure it out.

But one thing I knew for sure; a disappearing future was _never_ a good thing.

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haha, hope you love it. Now things should be getting more exciting.


	19. Fucking Unbelievable

**Refresher of Last chapter: **Bella has finally admitted to Karen and the group that she is using- which is obvious to them. They already know about the _Carpe Diem_ crew, and find it funny that Bella has the balls to join it.

Also, Alice looks for Bella's future to show Edward that she is fine, but comes up with nothing.

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Chapter 19: Fucking Unbelievable

**BPOV**

I was getting nasty glares from Hatcher, so I finally walked over to her during mess hall.

I walked up behind her in the cafeteria line, and tapped her on the shoulder.

She didn't turn around, but I talked anyway.

"Why haven't we met up in awhile? Is there a problem with anything I should know about?" she turned to face me, and the look in her eyes was murderous. "Umm…it's just that I've been having withdrawal symptoms, and I'm pretty uncomfortable..." I stopped talking when she didn't stop giving me the death stare.

"Don't talk about this _here,_" she hissed, shoving me out of the line.

_Fuck._ I forgot about that rule. I was supposed to act like we didn't know each other…I'm sure she'd bring this up when we did meet in the woods again- if they invite me back, that is…

I straightened up my beater, and tried not to trip over my feet as I walked back to my table. I was feeling dizzy from talking to her- or maybe it was that I wanted to get high so bad.

I caught glances of my table from where I stood, but people were crowding the line, and I couldn't see where I was going. I shoved through them, and kept my eyes on the ground to avoid anymore murderous stares- that is until I smashed into an incredibly built individual, which nearly knocked me to the ground.

"Wow, watch where you're fucking going," a husky voice said.

"Go fuck yourself-" I cut myself off when I saw that the unfamiliar voice belonged to a _very_ familiar face. "Holy shit!"

_Jacob._ Or at least that's who it looked like. He looked mostly like my best friend I had left in Forks, but he had gotten so much larger, and his voice had changed. He didn't even look his age! How long have I been here?

"Jesus Christ you're one skinny bitch," he eyed me up and down, and his eyes stopped on my chest. I didn't give him time to say anything perverted. I jumped into his arms, and hugged him so tight.

He smelled like a bunch of trees, mixed with weed of course.

"Jake, your dad's an asshole like mine!" I pulled myself off of him, but I couldn't keep still. I was so jumpy, and excited. This day had barely started, and it was already fucking unbelievable.

"Fuck yeah. He thought since you're getting clean, I should too- or at least that's what your dad put into his head…I fucking hate your dad, by the way." he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I laughed in agreement.

The mess hall was getting loud from the people coming in for breakfast, so I walked him out of the building and down onto the docks where it was much quieter.

"Dude, we have so much to talk about," I sat down on the dock ledge, took off my boots, and dropped my bare feet into the water.

Jake copied me. "I know…you don't even _know_ what's happened with me…"

"No Jake, you don't even _know _what's happened with _me_!" I groaned, but he ignored me, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and pulled me into a headlock.

"Stop, you're fucking hurting me…" I groaned into his chest, and he let me go after thirty seconds of torture. "Fuck Jake, you're an animal. What have you been eating?" I punched him in the chest, and he laughed.

"That's actually what I need to talk about with you…" he pulled his dark hair up out of his eyes, and looked at me seriously. "I have the most insane shit to tell you."

I shook my head. "I bet my shit can shock you even more than what you're about to tell me."

He gave the go ahead gesture. "Be my guest. You start, and I guarantee you, I'll blow you out of the water."

"Fine." I splashed my feet around in the water and thought of a good place to start. "Edward came to camp, and then ditched me again. And right after, I joined what pretty much is a drug gang, and now I am completely hooked back on drugs, and I'm not sure if I want to stay in or out of it. Plus, since my stay here, I've been beaten, attacked, starved, tied up, left to die, and nearly drowned- which are all separate occasions."

Jacob just stared out into the water, and I crossed my arms. "That's all lovely Bells, but it's a troubled youth camp- it's expected. Now I _know_ I will shock you."

"Doubt it, but go ahead."

He hesitated.

I watched him take in breaths, his huge chest moving up and down, and his arms flexed when he leaned back on them. I stared into his dark eyes when he looked into my face.

"I'm a werewolf."

I sighed. I knew he didn't have anything to shock me with.

"I'm serious. I can tell by the look on your face that you don't believe me. But don't you remember those legends I told you? They're true! Every one of them!"

I yawned, and looked out into the sky. The sun was high, and it was very nice out.

"Bella!" he hit me in the arm, and it actually hurt.

"Fuck, that hurt you bastard!"

"Yeah, because I'm a werewolf. How can you believe in vampires, but not believe in werewolves?"

"I'll believe it when I see it." I rubbed my arm where it hurt, and he looked at me in disbelief.

"You're pissing me off, you know that?" he suddenly picked me up without any difficulty whatsoever, and stood with me in his arms.

"Put me down!"

He then dangled me over the edge of the water.

"Would a normal human have been able to have done that so easily…" he began to loosen his grip on me, and I yelped, while gripping onto his beater.

"Stop it! I can't get these clothes wet!" I yelled at him. He was acting stupid. He didn't realize that we could get in trouble if we were caught out here.

"Tell me you believe me." He loosened his grip a little bit more, and I slowly slid down his arms.

"OKAY! OKAY! I BELIEVE YOU! Now quit it!" I tried to grip around his shoulders, but they were too massive to get an arm fully around.

"No, I think you're just saying that out of fear of falling…oh well, I guess I'll just have to show you sometime. You win." He didn't remove me from over the waters ledge though.

"You can let me down now!"

"No, I think you need a good bath. Seriously though, I can smell the stench of that bloodsucker on you from a mile away!"

Now _that_ didn't make sense. Edward had been gone for nearly a month…

I ignored it though.

I clutched onto him even harder. I could see he was bluffing, but that still didn't calm my nerves. He loved scaring me.

But out of nowhere, a movement over Jacobs shoulder, on the upper deck rail, caught my eye.

My eyes locked with Edwards- and they didn't look happy.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" he growled, hunching over on the rail into a crouch position.

_This is not happening…_

Even before looking around his shoulder, Jacob did _just _what he asked, and removed his arms from under me- right over the waters edge.

Right before I crashed into the water, I saw Edward jump from the top deck onto the docks.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Carlisle agreed to take me back to camp. I arrived in the morning, just as the sun was coming over the trees. Larry was pleased to welcome me back.

"Edward, I knew I would be seeing you again. That's what happens when you don't complete your training," he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and walked me back to my cabin, though, that was the last place I needed to be.

Larry left me alone to settle back in, and the rest of my old cabin mates were off somewhere else.

It was breakfast hours, so I knew exactly where Bella should have been; but as I walked up to the mess hall, I came across her scent, mixed with…it had to be a mistake.

I followed the scent down to the lake, and there she was; and she wasn't alone.

I jumped onto the rail, and peered down angrily at the unfamiliar boy, who had his hands all over Bella.

I locked eyes with her, and I had to hold myself back from not clobbering the boy about to chuck Bella into the lake.

I crouched onto the rail, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" I growled.

The idiot boy was a smartass. _If you say so…_and then he dropped her into the water- that's when I jumped from the top of the deck down onto the lower docks.

"You idiot!" I shoved the guy, and he shoved me back. But I ignored him, and stared down into the bubbles of the water, and watched as they slowly began to clear over.

The boy behind me started laughing. "Bella is such a show off. She was always good at holding her breath under water."

I turned to glare at him, and when he grinned, I recognized his face.

_The Forks boy…_

This wasn't good. Bella being here with her psycho friend was bad news- especially now since he was…a _werewolf_.

_Hurry up Bella…come up!_

**-x-**

**BPOV**

The water was so nice. It was too bad I didn't feel like enjoying it.

But that was Edward; he ruined my fun, especially on a day with so much potential. My best friend was here, and Edward_ happens_ to stroll back into camp.

I was mad, so I stayed under water, and swam underneath the dock, to the shoreline.

I could see where I was going, the sun had lit up the ground, and I could see the mud, and rocky floor.

This area of the lake was a drop off, and that's why the docks were built here in the first place. So it was easy to swim to the edge of the shoreline, and grab onto a rock to keep me from floating to the top.

My lungs were starting to ache, and I only had about two seconds left until I had to burst through the water.

_1…2…_ and I burst through the surface of the water, and grabbed onto a huge rock near the shoreline, and climbed up onto it.

"That was a record Bella!" Jacob laughed. He was sitting on the edge of the dock, feet back in the water, looking completely happy, and calm.

But that wasn't what Edward looked like. His face had relief washed over it, but under that was a hard jaw line, and dark eyes.

"Welcome back sunshine," I stood up on the rock, and crossed my arms, "You look _great_." _Not._

He walked over to the edge of the dock and crossed his arms like me.

"Aww, the cute couple reunites once again!" Jake was still laughing.

"Hilarious." I said lowly.

"Bella we need to talk." Edward motioned for me to come towards him, so I did- with a canon ball.

I was back under the water, swimming down under the ledge where he was standing, and made my way back to the other side of the dock where Jacob was sitting. I popped up out of the surface right next to Jake, and held onto the ledge of the dock to take a breath.

Edward stood right in front of me, and held out his hand for me.

"No, I'm not done swimming." I didn't look him in the eyes; I was busy staring at Jacobs mocking grin, which he was trying to hide.

I splashed him and he swore.

"Fuck off, _I can't get these clothes wet_!" he tried to mock my voice in a girly tone, and I rolled my eyes.

"Bella will you come up here, I need to talk to you," Edward said lowly.

I continued to ignore him. I was beyond pissed at him. He didn't have the right to show up in my life whenever he felt like it.

"Bella your boyfriend is talking," Jake nodded over to Edward, and I glared at Jake.

"Jake I'm gonna fucking kick your wolf ass," I said, wiping water droplets from my face.

Jake laughed, "Oh so you do believe-" Edward cut him off.

"Bella you know!" he glared down at me, and I looked over to Jake, who just shrugged.

"I guess I do…" I shook my head in disbelief.

My ex-boyfriend was a vampire, and now my best friend was a werewolf. I hope I turn out to be a fairy, or something just as cool.

"Oh no, Larry's coming down here!" Edward reached down and grabbed my wrist, and suddenly pulled me up and out of the water.

"Well I can't stay around here, look at me!" I looked anxiously up at the mess hall, and sure enough, Larry was on his way down, and it was too late to run up to the woods to hide.

Edward still had me by the wrist, and I looked down at Jake, who was slowly putting on his boots without a care in the world.

He didn't know Larry…

"Under the dock there's a small bit of breathing space, let's go!" I tugged my arm away from Edward, but he still wasn't letting go. We didn't have time to think of something else. Jake knew that, so he jumped into the lake with his boots on, and swam beneath the docks.

I looked franticly up at Edward. "See this scar," I pointed to my left eyebrow, "I'll have a matching one on the right eye if we don't go down there with Jake."

Edward's face was torn, but he finally sighed, and I ripped my arm out of his grasp. I took a hard jump into the water to make sure I got deep, and Edward followed right beside me.

Underwater, I turned around to see Jake's legs underneath the dock, and even before I could make the decision to swim under the dock to him, Edward had wrapped an arm around my waist, and dragged me over there, and up under the dock- which was much smaller than I thought.

"Hey lovebirds," Jake was holding onto a piece of board that was extended across the dock, which helped him keep his chin just above the water, "How's it hanging?"

I rolled my eyes at his lameness, and grabbed onto the board with him, which sunk the dock down even more.

"Wow, it's tight quarters in here…" I tilted my head back so that it was practically under water, and my chin and face were above the water.

Edward only held onto the board with one hand; I guess he was nervous for us to lose our breathing space.

But that wouldn't have mattered, because we were about to lose it anyway.

"Did you hear that?" Jake said in between spitting water, "Larry's coming down the stairs…"

I closed my eyes to listen, and sure enough, foot steps were headed this way.

The dock was going to sink down even more with his weight, and then we'd have zero breathing space.

_Fuck._

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Edward tried to give me a reason not to worry, but he couldn't.

"Yeah, for you…_fucking_ _bloodsucker…_" I began to breathe heavy, when the footsteps came down onto the dock. Larry wasn't in the middle yet, so maybe the dock wasn't going to sink.

But I was still nervous. I gripped onto the wood as tight as I could, and tried to relax my breathing.

"Take up all the oxygen why don't ya," Jake nudged me with his elbow, and that caused me to sway so that my lips fell under the surface.

"Fuck off!" I pulled my body up higher, but there wasn't enough space for my head to sit comfortably above the water. I had to angle it so that one of my ears was under water.

"Bella I'll get you out of here, just hold on." Edward tried to help me hold myself up, but that wasn't the problem; it was the lack of space.

I was about to respond to Edward when Larry decided that he _did_ need to walk across the dock; and slowly, the space of air began to drop.

"Fuck!" I yelled, not caring if Larry could or couldn't hear me.

"Take a big breath!" Edward yelled. _No fucking shit!_

I took a deep breath just before the last bit of water covered over my face, and then dropped down closer to the lake floor.

I could see Jake, giving me the finger, and goofing off under the water, completely unafraid that the air socket got lost.

I ignored him, and stayed completely still, enough so that I began to sink closer and closer to the lake floor.

Edward, like me, was uncomfortable with the idea that I may not be able to hold my breath. He followed beside me as I sank, and finally just wrapped his arms around me to hold me up, closer to the surface.

We were no longer even under the dock area, and were back under the sunny water.

I dug my fingers into Edwards wrists, trying to think of something else but the pounding of my heart, knocking on my chest to let some fucking air in.

I couldn't hold it any longer.

I pushed off Edward and burst through the surface, taking in the largest gulp of air.

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**There** **ya r. ;D**


	20. You're a bird, I'm a bird

**Little Refresh**: Jake is now at camp, oh and so is Edward (lol). At the moment, Bella Jake & Edward are under the water, holding their breath, waiting for Larry to get away from the docks. Oh but Bella can't wait, and she has to come up for air.

**REMINDER: Edward **_**doesn't**_** sparkle in this story!**

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**Chapter 20: You're a Bird, I'm a Bird**

_BPOV_

_I couldn't hold it any longer._

_I pushed off Edward and burst through the surface, taking in the largest gulp of air._

**BPOV**

The first air that entered my lungs, I managed to choke on. I coughed hard, and kept my eyes on the sky as the blurriness left my vision. I turned to look at the docks, and I had to open my eyes even wider.

_Were they playing tricks on me?_

To my relief, they weren't.

"What are you doing?" Guy had his arms to his side, and head cocked to the right. He wasn't the threatening Larry after all.

I laughed and laid my head back on the water, just as Edward and Jake finally came up.

Jake grinned, "Oh shit, it wasn't the big bad wolf after all!" he climbed up onto the dock, and offered Guy a high five in the air, "Good seeing ya again," he still held his hand in the air, but Guy turned to walk back up the docks.

"Meet me at the field you three…" he was shaking his head in disbelief, although, I'm not so sure how he could expect anything different from us- let alone me.

I swam up to the dock, and climbed up onto it, with Edward right next to me doing the same. I looked into his face, and he shrugged, knowing what I was thinking.

"Larry was on his way down, but he turned around and left- that's when Guy decided to come off a path, and take a look down here..." he trailed when I started shaking my head.

"You couldn't fucking tell me?" I stood and water spilled from my cargo shorts pockets, and my beater looked like it was painted to my skin.

"You wouldn't have bothered to wait it out…you trust Guy, but he has a job to do," he pulled his dripping wet hair up out of his eyes, and I forgot what I was going to say.

He looked good wet. His beater stuck to every inch of his torso, and I could see that he still had his abs...

Jake pulled me out of my staring.

"Nice shirt Bella," he crossed his arms, and held his chin with his hand, which also hid a smile that he didn't want me seeing.

I looked down at my beater, and it had gone completely see through.

"Or, nice black bra, that is…" he was holding back his laughter, and even before I could smash him in the shoulder, like I normally did, Edward beat me to it.

"Oww!" Jacob rubbed him shoulder, and then stood up straight. "That didn't hurt." He stared at my shirt.

Jacob was a child. He was always getting into trouble, and needed wrangling in. I was glad he was here so that maybe eyes would be off me and placed on him instead.

"Come on, before we get into even more trouble…" I walked past them, and headed towards a path in the woods.

Guy wanted us to meet him in the field.

The field was called 'the field' because that's what it fucking was. It was a _huge _area of ground, with prickly, yellowing grass and rough patches, surrounded by Oregon's famous tall trees. Oh, and it was also surrounded by a chain link fence, which from what I know, is the only fenced in area of the camp.

"What's 'the field'?" Jake asked behind me.

I liked not being the newbie anymore. It was awesome that I was able to give out pieces of information, based on my experiences.

"It's where they chuck kids to tire them out," I stepped over a log that was blocking the path, and continued down the long dirt path towards the field.

"I'm sorry?" Edward came up beside me, "What?"

"Yeah. I was sent there a week after you left. They noticed I was acting out a bit more than usual, so the field was the only place that was safe to ditch me, and also be boxed in."

"Isn't that what an isolation box or being tied to a stake is for?" He pointed out.

He was right, but what I had learned from Hatcher was that the camp was only allowed to use those in dire situations. Apparently, Larry had been misusing his authority, and he was under watch by a higher power.

"True, but that was the week after for me…" I admitted. I chuckled when flashbacks of the hilarious moments came back to me.

_It was a group workout with the boys, and Karen was being unintentionally hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing at her trying to do a push up._

"_Shut it, SWAN!" Rick, the boy's counsellor, yelled from the head of the group._

_I couldn't though. I was high as fuck, and Karen couldn't do a push up, let alone a sit up, to save her life._

"_Fine, you can laugh all the way to solitary confinement," he said._

_And I did._

"Something funny?" Edward's voice brought me back to reality.

"Nope," I picked up the pace, and finally, we broke through to the clearing, and Guy was standing with his arms crossed in front of the fence.

We walked up to him, and as he unlocked the entrance, I couldn't stop grinning. This place was already flashing back memories.

"_If you had to be an animal, what one would you be?" I asked Scott, who was lying next to me, just enjoying the stars in the sky, mixed with the scent of dry grass._

_I rolled over onto my stomach as he processed my question, and stared at Hatcher, who was off in left field, pacing._

_To__ say she was pissed -from us getting caught in a restricted area earlier today- was an understatement._

_I sighed, and rolled back onto my stomach, and thought about how good it would be to not have to go through Hatcher to get my drugs._

"_I think I would be a lion, 'cause they're king of the jungle," Scott said._

"_No way, they're so boring," I thought about what I would want to be while he defended his answer. I didn't really hear what he was saying because I was still coming off a high, and hitting a low._

"_Well, what about you then?" _

"_I would be a bird," I admitted, "Any kind of bird, as long as it could fly."_

_He laughed, "And you think a lion is boring…"_

_I did._

Guy's voice startled me out of my daydream.

"Get in, I'll come back for you late tonight," he held the chain link door open for us, and we all walked into our new home for the day and half the night.

"_Joy_…" I sighed. Suddenly my huge paradise seemed to shrink in size with Edward and Jake at my side.

_**Hours later…**_

"I'm so fucking hot…" Jake groaned, or at least that's what I thought I heard. He was lying face down in the grass, hiding his face from the hot blaze of the sun.

"I'm not," I lied, trying to be funny.

"Hilarious," he said lowly, and I rolled my eyes.

It actually was insanely hot out. I was sweating bullets, and I actually wished I was still buddy bud with Edward so I could have a freezer up next to me.

_Nah…_

"I need a hat…" Jake stayed facing down, but he managed to shimmy out of his shirt, and create some sort of half ass hat.

I didn't really pay attention to the hat; his back muscles were impressive.

As I gazed at his tan lines, divots, and shoulders, Edward decided it was a bit too hot out for him as well, and off came his shirt.

_Yes Edward, because I'm sure vampires get hot…you jealous bastard._

"God Edward, you need to get some more sun. You're killing me with the reflections coming off you," I held up my hand to pretend to block the rays that were _not_ coming off his skin.

Let's face it; I was surrounded by hot bods.

"Yeah, you sort of look like a sick kid who hasn't had enough vitamin D," Jake laughed, looking up and squinting his eyes at him.

Edward ignored him, and laid on his back with his eyes closed, letting the sun warm his skin.

"You know Bella, I think you might be a little hot with that beater on…" he winked at me playfully, and I grinned.

_When in Rome…_

"You know Jake, I think you're right…" I shrugged out of my shirt, and my black bra attracted not only the sun, but wondering eyes.

I could see Edward's eyes slightly open, forming slits, and I laughed in my head.

_Perv._

"Dayyyuum," Jake laughed. But he didn't swoon over me as much as I thought he would, and he put his head back in the grass to bathe in the sun.

_Dayyuumm is fucking right…_

**-x-**

"Holy shit, look at that one Jake," I pointed up at the sky, towards the biggest and brightest star. It looked like it was spinning, and dancing.

_Am I high?_

"Wow, it looks like it's moving!" Jake leaned up onto his elbows, and stared up in admiration at it.

"It does, doesn't it?" I laughed, getting cozy with the grass, and sighing.

"Maybe because it's a plane," Edward finally chimed in. He had been ignoring our pointless jabber for some time; I guess he didn't like Jake. _Real shocker…_

"No way, it's a star," Jake stared even harder at it, and even I was in denial, so I did the same; until it blinked red.

We burst out into laughter, and tears were streaming down my face.

"You thought that plane was a star!" Jake said through his laughing fit, jabbing me in the shoulder with his finger.

"Hey! You did too you punk ass!" I rolled over onto my stomach, and continued to enjoy finding something so lame- like a star turning out to be a plane- so funny.

I sighed, and wiped away the tears from my cheeks.

_I shouldn't be so happy right now…_but I was. Relaxing in a field, with a humongous gold moon sneaking behind the trees, was quite enjoyable. In fact, it made me feel so good, that I felt like using up the sudden adrenaline rush I had.

I jumped up onto my feet and stretched my arms high up into the sky, and pulled my head back to get the best view of the dark blue sky.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked. He was lying on his back, with the beginnings of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

I shrugged- because I didn't really know.

Jake ignored me. He was used to me acting weird, and spontaneous.

I began to spin around; exactly like Tracy had done the day the rain storm took her over.

"Have you gone mad?" Edward asked.

I stopped spinning and shrugged again.

He sat up onto his elbows, and cocked an eyebrow at me.

I laughed, and ran away into the darkness.

I ran to the middle of the field, and started spinning again, truly feeling like a four year old hyped up on sugar. But my energy streak didn't end there, and I sprinted all the way to the other side of the field, and slammed my body into the chain link fence.

I was back on the ground, staring at the stars within two seconds.

"That was interesting…" Edward's voice came from behind me, but I couldn't see him in the dark- and honestly, I wasn't searching for him.

I started counting the stars while he stepped into the moonlight, and stood over me, tracing his eyes over my face.

"Tell me what you're thinking…" he had his hands in his pockets, and looked deep into my eyes, which I rolled.

How many times did this guy need to ask me that?

"Old habits die hard, eh…?" I had my feet up on the fence, and started bouncing them like a child off the springy chain links.

He just grinned, and waited for an answer.

"I'm asking myself whether or not I could climb this fence…" I stopped bouncing my feet, and snaked my eyes all the way up the fence.

It was incredibly tall, and had barbed wire –which was a little much- at the top of it.

"No you can't," Edward suddenly said, and I shook my head.

"I disagree," I stood up, and linked my fingers through the metal and shook the fence to see how sturdy it was.

"Let me rephrase that," he came over and leaned on the fence beside me, and stared into my face while I contemplated a daring climb. "You _can _do it, but you can't do it right now…'cause Larry is on his way back."

I sighed, and turned my back on the fence to lean beside him.

"Fucking right," I laughed.

He cringed. "Do you really have to say it like that…" he was shaking his head, and I laughed even harder.

"Bella, are you happy?" he asked, following me along the edge of the fence, while I skipped along it.

"Gawd you're killing me right now Edward…" I grinned. But he actually wasn't. I didn't care if he was being a chatty Kathy or whatever. "But yeah, I'm _happy_." I mocked him in his voice, and he grinned.

"You look it," he sighed, and he wrapped his arm loosely around my shoulders, like we were old friends, and walked with me in the night.

For once, I actually felt like we _were_ friends. There was nothing romantic between us, and that made me feel better towards him.

Edward Cullen's Friend...now _that_ was new.

**-x-**

Larry seemed to have forgotten us, and the sky was darker than ever, and the moon was beginning to cloud over.

Not like I cared. I still had plenty of silly questions to quiz everyone with.

"If you had to be an animal, what one would you be?" I asked Edward and Jake. I watched as Edward contemplated his answer on his back, while Jake quickly turned over and spat it out.

"Umm like a lion or something. They're the shit," he made himself grin from his answer, and I could only imagine what he was thinking.

I wasn't impressed by his answer, so I hurried Edward along for his.

"What about you?" I turned over onto my stomach and watched him stare at the stars.

He smiled. "Probably a bird. I would love to know what it's like to fly…" he looked over at me to see if his answer was okay, and I simply nodded, and flipped onto my back.

_A bird. _I thought to myself. _How charming…_

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lol.


	21. Need vs Want

**A/N:**

**Yeah****….I havn't ****updated**** in awhile because it's MARCH BREAK! I've been living it up, to say the least. Only until I got a few pm's, telling me to update, did I realize that I had put this story off…so here's a chapter.**

**Refresher: **Bella, Jake, and Edward were sent off to 'the field' for the day/night. There, Bella has a good time just letting go, and running/lying around.

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Chapter 21: Need vs. Want

**Tracy's POV**

I don't know how to deal with loss- that's probably why I spin out of control so easily. Any time another bump in the road fly's towards me, I simply go around, and pretend the back tires didn't get damaged.

My mum told me when I was younger that crying was your body telling you that you needed to release tension in your life, and let others know that you're _not _okay. She also said that that was why tears were so pretty; they attracted the eye so it wouldn't be hard for an onlooker to read the evidence.

I never believed her though. I would hold in everything- stop breathing- just so that my rims didn't fill. I'm afraid to look weak in people's faces. Crying means you're weak. If you can hold back the tears, you're strong.

I _am_ strong…or at least that's what I have to tell myself.

Once I even looked up on the internet how to get rid of the traitor tears before they started to really build up inside you.

Biting your tongue was the brilliant answer- only I ended up with a cut up tongue after a huge argument with my mum.

The tears still brimmed up in my eyes, and I had to run away before I looked weak.

I hate that.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Last night was interesting- to say the least.

I could probably say that Bella and I were…friends? _So_ _strange to think of her like that…_

She was in a very good mood last night. I don't know why either. Maybe it was because Larry wasn't around to ruin her night. Or maybe it was because Jacob- whom she seemed to be closer with than I thought- was next to her.

No. That wasn't it…it had to be the Larry thing. It _had_ to be.

But that didn't matter. Only today mattered; and today was the first day of getting Bella back to where she needs to be.

I mean, she's clearly back on drugs. Her arms are bruised in the creases, her face has thinned out again, and the scent of her blood is back to be unappetizing.

I wish I didn't need to watch her day in and out. But I want Bella well, and that's what needs to be done.

**-x-**

Breakfast was over. Bella didn't eat again. No surprises there. She wasn't having an appetite for anything lately.

The mess hall started to clear, and I kept my distance from her as she headed towards the door with her cabin group, chatting away- which was actually nice to see.

It's almost funny how her cabin group isn't as threatening anymore. Logan isn't as delusional as I thought she was. Or maybe she is, except there are bigger fish in the pond to worry about.

I grinned to myself when Bella threw her head back and started roaring with laughter.

Logan was telling her about a group workout we had missed last night, and I guess she had struggled with it. Bella couldn't hold back her laughter.

"I'm going to use a punch on you, Swan," Logan punched Bella in the arm, and before I could rush in and prevent anything more, Bella started laughing even more.

I stared with confusion across my face.

Tears were coming down Bella's pale cheeks; but she was hurting from laughter.

And what confused me even more was when Logan started laughing too.

_I don't get girls…_

I sighed, and followed the crowd outside, and down the stairs. This was where we were to separate, and get back to our cabins to hear from our cabin counsellors for the day's events.

The crowd slowly started to disperse, and just as Logan, Tracy, and Brooke headed towards the path to their cabin, a boyish looking girl came behind Bella, and handed her a note, nonchalantly.

Bella didn't make eye contact with the girl or even acknowledge her existence. The note was simply passed, and they parted like nothing happened.

_Caught __you__…_the mysterious drug dealer now had a face.

Instead of running up to Bella and making her explain herself, I decided to follow this short haired, tall girl- not too far of course.

She wondered through the crowd of people as counsellors broke up the kids, and I picked through her brain as she made eye contact with certain people.

But it wasn't until she made eye contact with one boy…Scott was his name, that I learned about her.

_Images of the woods, and her sneaking out with him flew across her mind. And then just as quickly, those images vanished, and were replaced with her standing in front of a group- which she referred to as Carpe Diem- passing out drugs._

I nearly gasped when those visions took an even darker side.

_Her and Scott were dragging a body down a path…and it was Bella's- completely passed out._

Bella wasn't mixing with the right crowd. These people weren't good…to say the least.

I shook my head in disbelief, and focused on the boy's mind instead of her disturbing one.

His wasn't much better.

_I wonder why she wants to hold a meeting tonight…I bet it's about the lack of drugs kicking around…_he said to himself.

I snapped out of it when I realized a date had been set for their group meeting- probably what was on the note.

_I'll be ready…_I told myself.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I was having a wonderful day still. Last night seemed to have crept into the morning, and I couldn't be any happier.

"What's with the grin, Bella?" Brooke looked up at me from her bottom bunk. She was on her back, with her head upside down, looking up at me.

I didn't even realize I was grinning. "I don't know. It just seems like it's going to be a good day," I said honestly.

Karen laughed. "I'm sorry…are you saying you're looking forward to a day at Camp Archstone?"

I nodded. In fact, I didn't even mind Camp Archstone that much anymore. I had friends here now, and a source of drugs. What's not to like? And after receiving a note from Hatcher about a meeting tonight, I was feeling quite antsy.

"You're an idiot. You just wait…you'll forget you even said that," she jumped down from her bunk, which shook the whole cabin, and walked over to the cabin door to let Sharon in.

_I seriously doubt that._

"Hello girls, we need to meet in the pit this morning- the small one, that is," she waved for us to follow her outside, so we did.

The pit was basically like the talking circle. It was a fire pit, with logs around it to sit on. Usually, if we were well behaved one week, we would have camp fires here, and simply just enjoy the fire.

_Not that I've been invited to one yet…_

We followed Sharon, who was out of breath by the time we came down the dirt path to the pit. I grinned hugely when Jake perked up and winked at me, and right beside him was Edward, saving me a seat of course.

I skipped over and sat next to him, and leaned forward to talk to Jacob.

"Jake, don't tell me you're in Edward's Cabin?" I laughed lowly, and he was nodding with a smile on his face. Edward rolled his eyes, and kept his head straight.

"Yup. New recruits are not in until next month, so they can't put me in a cabin by myself. I'm bunking with your boyfriend!" he wrapped an arm around Edward's shoulder, which Edward immediately shook of.

I smiled to myself when I noticed the corners of Edward's mouth slightly move up.

"Alright, be quiet. Eyes on me," Sharon was holding up what looked to be a match. Or maybe it was a much smaller version of the talking stick...not. "Who would like to show me how to make a fire?" she circled around the pit, holding the match in between her index finger and thumb.

I shrugged. "I'll do it," I stood up, and she turned to look at me.

"You want to?"

No, I just thought I'd say I wanted to, but really I just needed to stand up for a good stretch. I didn't tell her that though. "Yes." I said simply.

She handed me the small match, and presented me to the pit.

"There's smaller branches beside the pit, and larger ones next to that," Rick said from behind the circle. _Thank you Rick, I couldn't figure that out on my own…_

I kneeled down on my sore knees, and laid the match near me on the ground.

Building Fires 101: build a tepee, and then fill it with dry twigs, and light- or at least that's what the movies do….

I started to do just that, and fumbled with a couple logs that weren't staying up. But finally, the structure was complete, the twigs were laid, and I lit the match.

I watched the fire dance on the small match. It slowly inched it's way down, until finally, I lit a small piece of bark, and lit the rest of the fire.

It started smoothly, and I added more bark and twigs, until finally, the flames seemed to be reaching the logs.

I turned and grinned at Sharon. "How's that for marshmallows" I stood and she shook her head.

"No, we won't be roasting marshmallows, that's for sure…" she walked around the fire, and I didn't even bother asking her anymore questions. This group session clearly wasn't going to be a sing along song time.

"Okay Rick, I think we're ready," she motioned Rick to come forward, but instead, he stepped into the forest line, and pulled out a huge duffel bag that had been hidden behind a few tree boughs. He carried the bag over to Sharon, who set it on the ground next to her. "Thank you Rick," she nodded at him, and he nodded back, and took his place back out of the circle.

"What's in the bag?" Jack, a boy in Edward and Jacob's group, asked.

"We'll get to that," she continued to walk around the fire, staring into it, and then she started her speech. "So, we're here today to discuss the effect 'things' have on us…"

I suddenly became more interested. I was curious why we would be having a camp fire in the middle of the day, with a group session.

"Anyway, this can be an open discussion. If you have anything to say that is relevant to the topic 'things', feel free to join in," she stopped in her place, and looked up into the sky. "First question…does any one of you feel that there are certain objects in life that we absolutely need in order to survive or feel good?"

She looked around at our faces, and Landon actually spoke up.

"Psst, no." he said with a disgusted look on his face, "I don't need anything, or anyone." He crossed his arms to look tough, and I noticed Edward roll his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Sharon asked, "Because it would be wonderful if that were true. Imagine the feeling of being able to not depend on anything for self-fulfilment…"

"It's true." He said again.

"Well…" she bent over and unzipped the corner of the duffel bag, just enough to pull a small object out. I leaned over some more to see what was in her hand, and when she held it up for everyone to see, I was confused.

_An iPod?_

Landon's eyes widened.

"You see, by that look on your face Landon, I believe that you _do _in fact have something that you _think_ you need in your life." She dangled the iPod by the ear buds and watched him try to avoid eye contact with it.

He didn't speak up.

"So, since you don't need it…" she tossed the iPod into the fire, and everyone gasped while we watched the flames take over.

I gulped. Suddenly, I kind of knew where this group session was headed. I don't think Jack knew though. He was laughing at Landon.

"Jack, what's so funny? Are you like Landon, and do not have anything that sustains your life on this earth?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, but Jack wasn't intimidated.

He shook his head no. "Yes, I have to admit, I _do_ need certain things in my life," he thought he had this figured out, and he smiled to himself.

_Dude, your shit is still going to get chucked out no matter what you say to her…_

She nodded, "That's understandable. We can't all be like Landon," she bent down and pulled something from the bag, and Jack suddenly jumped from his seat.

"Not my sunglasses!" he yelled. I guess he did know they were going to be chucked out… "They're real Aviators, and they cost an arm and a leg!"

"Sit down Jack," Rick came up behind him, and Jack reluctantly did.

I was laughing on the inside. Of course the pretty boy of the group's prized possession was a stupid pair of shades…

"Sharon, I need them. I admit that, can't I have them?" he said with doe eyes. He sort of looked like Tracy…

"No Jack. This is an experience. I want to show you that you don't need these things to have an enjoyable life." She chucked the glasses into the fire, and Jack covered his face with his hands.

_Lame._ _I won't be like that when it's my turn._ I suddenly stopped in space, and tried to think of something Charlie would have sent that would 'mean a lot' to me.

I couldn't think of a single thing that would fit in that duffel bag. I didn't own many possessions because I had sold anything nice I used to have for money to spend on the real prize in life.

I smiled to myself. This group activity had nothing on me.

"Tracy…" Sharon turned to meet Tracy's huge dark eyes, and scared face. "What do you think about needing objects or items in life?"

Tracy fidgeted, and looked at her hands as she tried to put words into a sentence. "I don't…well, maybe…I guess that would be…ummm…maybe there are things I want…but I don't know about…needing? Not necessarily…but maybe…I don't know…" she looked like she was going to fall over after giving her 'mixed up' answer, and for some reason, I wanted to punch Sharon in the face for bothering Tracy.

"So you believe that you have wants in life, but not really any needs?" Sharon starting digging through the bag, and I was curious to see what Tracy would apparently 'need' in life. Tracy didn't answer her, and I looked at her face when Sharon pulled out a ratty book.

I grinned from the title. _Wuthering Heights. _So our Tracy is a romantic…

Tracy eyed the book in Sharon's hands, but didn't make a fuss or any movements towards it. That was so like Tracy.

"Would you agree that this book is a need of yours?" Sharon dangled the book from it's mangled pages.

Tracy stared blankly at it. "No." she looked stunned the way she said it. "It's stupid." She sounded like a monotone robot. Was she programmed to say that? Or did she seriously not care?

Sharon shrugged, giving up on getting a reaction from her, and threw the mangled book into the fire.

She then turned to Edward and Jacob.

"You two," she pointed at Edward and Jake, "your parents were not notified early enough to get something, since you're both fairly new this week. But don't worry, we'll be coming back to you some time in the future."

Jake grinned, and Edward simply nodded.

I was screaming on the inside. I wanted to see if Carlisle would send something really personal, like Edwards journals, or his CDs or something.

"Lila?" Sharon turned to Karen, and I held back a smile. Sharon started digging through the bag, looking for her prized possession. I wonder if it would be a Big Mac, or a bag of Skittles…

"It's Logan…" Karen corrected. She widened her eyes when Sharon ignored her to pull out her possession.

A pink, stuffed animal- an elephant, like her.

"Is this yours?" Sharon asked, holding it over the fire.

Karen shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe, maybe not…"

"Okay, well I guess it's not anymore," she dropped it into the fire, and Karen closed her eyes. I guess she couldn't bear to witness her best friend being burned alive.

Brooke shrunk back into herself when Sharon looked at her, and started digging through the duffel bag- and I nearly died when she pulled out Brooke's item.

"Anne of Green Gables, the trilogy, on DVD…" Sharon chucked it into the fire even before asking her anything about it.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I actually had to chuckle.

_So green gables was a fan of Anne of Green Gables….kill me…_ I looked up to see Sharon with her arms crossed, staring at me.

"Since you find this _hilarious, _you're next Swan."

"That's fine," I said honestly.

"We'll see," she bent down and pulled out a piece of paper from the duffel bag, and held it out to show me. "Look familiar?"

"Oh yes!" I said sarcastically, "It's the paper I write stuff on…oh god, please do not burn it…"

"Look closer…" she walked over to me, and held it up to my face,

On the paper was a coloured picture, and in the picture was a background of my yard, with a familiar Kawasaki Ninja…

She pulled the picture before I could put two and two together.

"Obviously that's your bike," she crumbled up the paper and threw it into the fire, "Well, it _was_ your bike."

I caught my gasp before it could make it out of my throat, but I'm sure everyone could hear my blood boiling in my veins.

_Keep it together…_

"Your father decided to get rid of it for you. I'm not sure if you noticed in the picture, but there was a for sale sign on it that said 100 bucks."

_One hundred dollars…for a bike that was easily worth thousands._

"From what I'm told though, not too many fish were biting for it, so he eventually just gave it to a scrap yard-" I couldn't let her finish. I jumped up and pulled away from the tugging on my shorts on Edward's part.

Anger pumped through my veins, and I couldn't believe Charlie had done that to me.

"Sit down Miss Swan," she pointed at the spot behind me, and I glared at her with a devious smile.

"_You _sit down."

And that's the only time I have ever shoved an elderly woman.

**

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**Okay****, so that's that. Tell me what you think.**


	22. Making Decisions for Me

**Refresher: **Bella and her group had to sit through a new group activity- which basically got rid of your prized possession. Bella lost her motorcycle, and with that, she lost her temper, and shoved Sharon.

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Chapter 22: Making Decisions For Me

**Bella's POV**

Hatcher was going to kill me if I didn't show up tonight.

I was supposed to meet the group in the woods later on, but I wouldn't be able to do that if Larry's office was preventing me from getting there.

Maybe pushing Sharon wasn't the right thing to do, but it sure did_ feel_ right…

I fidgeted in my chair, and stared at Larry's empty desk. I had been sitting in this office all day, waiting anxiously for my punishment to come through the door.

But I guess Larry hadn't heard about my latest mishap, and so, another camp worker replaced him.

I turned around in my chair when the office door cracked open, and I smiled when Guy entered the room.

"Wipe that smile off your face Bella…" he walked over to Larry's desk, and sat where Larry's skinny ass used to sit.

I removed it just because he said to...and because I liked Guy. I sat still and watched him flip through a file- no doubt mine- and shake his head.

"You're trouble Bella," he closed the file, and folded his hands on the desk.

I put my hands up in the air, palms up, and shrugged like I had no idea what he was talking about.

"We've done everything we can, punishment wise, plus more thanks to Larry…" he leaned forward, "I'm sorry about Larry, Bella…"

I nodded. "Yeah thanks, but it's him I hate, so he can be the one to apologize, not you."

"Well he's on a leave of absence. This has happened before when…well…with another incident…"

I perked up. "Oh?"

"Yes, and I'm not going into it, so stop it with the fakeness Bella."

I laid back into my chair again. _Coward._

"I'm going to put it straight with you. Camp Archstone is an option, a good option, for you to turn your life around. If you keep trying to find these loop holes, you're just going to get worse and worse, and eventually, your juvenile antics will end you up in jail."

I blinked. "_Loop _holes? _Juvenile_ antics_?_" I mocked him perfectly.

"Yes. I'm not talking about you assaulting another camp worker-"

"Assaulting?"

"Yes."

_Really? Assaulting?_ It sounded so…criminal. I liked it…

"Then what are we talking about?" I asked.

"I'm going to just ask you point blank…" he leaned back in his chair, and put his hands behind his head. He stared at me right in the eyes, "Where are you getting the drugs?"

I shifted in my chair. "Pardon?" I said, even though I heard him perfectly.

"Where are you getting the drugs?" he repeated. His eyebrows were high on his forehead, and I blinked after staring straight at him for 30 seconds. "I'm not an idiot-"

"I didn't say you were."

He stood up, "Well you're looking at me with _that look_ on your face." He turned and stared out the window.

"No, that's just my face…" I sighed at the end, growing tired of his difficultness.

Silence filled the room quickly- and it was the awkward kind.

My eyes wandered the room to try and ignore the man staring out the window, who was waiting for an honest answer from me.

The walls were dark, with pictures of black bears, forests, and river landscapes. On the far right wall, a clock ticked violently, ticking down the moment when my stubbornness came to an end.

"Are we done?"

He turned to face me. "Depends. Are you going to tell me about Hatcher?"

I held my jaw up from dropping to the floor. I tried to make a confused face, but he shook his head at me.

"She's been caught before, you know. So don't act like she's the cleanest kid in here." He said.

I didn't say anything. I was too scared. Scared because Hatcher could kill me, or worse; she could cut off my drug supply, and then I would have to kill myself.

"If you ever want to talk, there are counsellors on hand- and I mean privately too. You know that whatever you say is confidential-" I cut him off.

"I don't even want to talk to you, so why the hell would I want to talk to anyone else?" I stood up from my chair, and turned to leave.

But before I could get out of the office, or slam the door on him, he said the two most annoying words that should never be used side by side in a sentence.

"_Why not?" _

I growled, and slammed the door.

_Wrong question…_

**-x-**

The sun was setting, and I had to get to my cabin before it completely disappeared. But I wasn't too worried; Larry wasn't around to get me into trouble, and Sharon was probably scared shitless of me. Besides, it's not like I chucked her into the fire, it was only a little shove.

I slowed down my walk to a strolling pace, and I decided to take a different path back to my cabin to have some more time to explore. The sun was barely coming through the trees as I walked deeper into the woods, until finally, it was completely dark.

"Oh shit…" I whispered to myself. The path I was on definitely didn't lead back to my cabin, and it was officially twilight, which meant I was officially late for bunk hours.

"Oh shit is right…" a male voice said behind me.

I snapped my body around towards the sound, but my eyes only scanned over the path I had just come down, and the forest.

_Fuck I'm losing it…_my heart started to race as I squinted my eyes to make sure I hadn't missed anyone behind me, but no one was there.

I sighed, and turned back around to continue along the path. But just as I turned my head to watch where I was going, I collided with another body- a rock solid one.

"Easy there," Edward grabbed my shoulders before I could fall to my ass, but my head still snapped back.

"Fuck you scared me!" I ripped my arms away from him, but I wasn't angry; I actually started laughing.

"What are you laughing at now?" he looked at me with a grin on his face, and that only made me smile when I finally stopped laughing.

"I thought there was a monster following me for a second," I admitted.

He shrugged. "Well there sort of was, if you think about it."

I laughed, "You're not a monster. You're far from it."

He rolled his eyes at me. "If you say so," he sighed.

I shook my head. He wasn't a monster. He was much cooler than that.

"Psst, you're the shit, and you know it." I punched him in his chest, and he pretended it hurt, and covered the area I punched.

"What was that for?" he shoved me back, and I actually fell to the ground.

"Fuck Edward, I can't believe you just shoved me," I laughed, lying on the path ground, where he stood over me with anxious eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you would fall!" he offered me his hand, and I started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing…" he covered his face with his hands, but I could see his grin from under his hands. My laugh was contagious, and I knew it and he knew it as well.

"Edward, I think you've been hanging around me too much. I'm rubbing off on you. Soon you'll be skinny dipping, shoving older women, and doing drugs-" I stopped myself too late. I had gone too far.

He dropped his hand when he heard the last words from my mouth, and I cussed under my breath. He turned his back to me, and ripped his hands through his hair.

The atmosphere had changed in a blink of an eye. It had been light hearted and silly two seconds ago, and now, all the seriousness that I hated about life was right in between us again.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, getting myself up from the ground.

He turned and cocked an eyebrow at me. "You're seriously asking that?" he grabbed my arm, and I tried to pull away, but he straightened it out, and pointed to the bruises on the crease.

"Screw off, I get it!" I yanked my arm away from him, and he stared at me. "Why are you being like this? When you act like this, I hate being around you."

"Act like what? You're just not used to having someone look out for you," he argued.

I shook my head. "Not true, Jacob looks out for me."

"I look out for you too."

"Well, Jacob did when it mattered…" I grinned to myself because I knew that was a low blow.

His jaw tightened, and his mouth formed a hard line.

"Are you going to say anything? Or are you pretending those months don't exist?" I cocked an eyebrow at him. I was actually pleased with myself for being able to be so light hearted about him leaving me. I was so over it.

"It was a mistake," he said between clenched teeth, "And you know that."

"I do know that; and I learned from that mistake. I learned that I didn't need you to survive, and I found a better way to survive."

"Which is?"

I showed him my bruises again. "Just living the dream," I said, and I shoved past him to continue back down the path.

It was insanely dark now. We had been talking too long, and I should have gone back to my cabin awhile ago.

I looked behind me to find, surprisingly, Edward had left me. He was no longer behind me.

"Fucker," I whispered to myself.

"Are you talking about me?" he said in front of me, and I swore again.

"Stop doing that!" I punched him in the shoulder, and he grinned like before, except he didn't shove me this time. I guess he thought he had hurt me the last time.

"I'm sorry," he said lowly, and he looked so sincere and innocent.

I sighed. "What are you saying sorry for?" I crossed my arms, and looked up into his eyes.

"For everything."

For some reason, I believed him, and I felt a weight of the grudge actually lift off my back and chest. "Good," I grinned, "You should be."

"So you forgive me?" he looked at me with his long lashes, and glorious smile, and I swore. He laughed.

"Yes. I forgave you awhile ago. You just didn't know it," I walked past him and he followed tightly beside me.

"Where are you headed?" he asked.

"My cabin."

"Not that way you're not," he took hold of my hand, and pulled me around to walk the other direction, but he didn't let go of my hand as we walked. I looked up at him with a questioning look on my face, and he simply said "In case you fall."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure…"

**-x-**

"Oh so there's my cabin…I guess you were right," I stopped when my dark little cabin was visible through the trees, but he didn't let go of my hand.

"You're welcome," he said.

"Screw you," I grinned.

"Don't you think I deserve a reward for getting you back here?" he asked in a sly little voice.

"Like what?"

"I don't know…" he looked up at the sky, and I saw the corners of his mouth turn up.

I leaned up on my tiptoes, and came an inch away from his lips. "Tell me," I breathed heavy into his face, and I could nearly taste the sweetness flowing from his cold skin. I could certainly smell it…

"I…well…" he was stuttering, and I smiled, and leaned in ever so slightly, and looked into his dark eyes.

He suddenly closed the distance all the way, but I was quicker, and I gave him the cheek.

His lips pressed hard against my cheek, and he growled when I pulled away from him.

I laughed.

"You're not funny." He said lowly, and he backed away from me and pointed to the cabin. "Now get back to your cabin, and stay there. You don't need to be running off tonight either."

_Oh bud…if you only knew…_or did he? Did he know about Hatcher and the group…?

I backed away from him. "You're the one to talk," I said lowly, and I turned my back to him and headed toward my cabin, and when I looked back, he was gone.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV.**

She looked suspicious of me when she backed away and headed towards her cabin, so I had to get out of there before she could read the smile forming across my face.

Of course I knew what her plans were tonight. She was going to go see Hatcher, and if she did, I was going to ambush her. I just needed to stay alert tonight, and make sure she didn't make it to that little meeting of hers.

I sprinted through the woods, towards my cabin that was on the other side of the camp. As I ran, I saw Rick making his way towards it, but I beat him there of course, and slipped through the door before he could even see it opening.

"Where have you been?" Landon was sitting on top bunk, dangling his feet, and scratching his dark short hair.

"Not here," I walked to my top bunk, and jumped up onto it.

Jacob rolled his eyes at me. He was lounging on his top bunk, and reading through one of the boys magazines.

"You might want to put that away," I told him, "Rick is about to walk in."

Jacob looked towards the door when it swung open, and he hid the magazine under him just as Rick strolled into the cabin.

"How's it going boys?" Rick took off his ball cap, and pulled his hands through his non-existent hair.

"Excellent," Jacob said, looking over at me and grinning.

_Idiot…_I rolled my eyes at him, and hid a smile by holding my jaw.

"Good to hear that Jacob," he leaned on Landon's Bunk, and sighed. "Alright, so everyone washed up?"

Jack swore, "Hell, I don't think Landon has been washing up."

Everyone, including myself, laughed. But not as hard as Rick did.

"Screw you Jack!" Landon jumped down from his bunk, and Jack climbed out of his bottom one. They began to playfully push and shove each other, and Rick stepped in between them, but he was grinning hugely.

"It's true though," Jack laughed, "You know that smell when you don't clean absolutely anything on your body? That's Landon."

Landon lunged for Jack, and Jack yelped like a girl. Rick didn't separate them though; he was still laughing with the rest of us.

"Rick help!" Jack was laughing and running around the room away from Landon, who was trailing him. But Landon wasn't even pissed off. He was slightly grinning, and he was enjoying the light-hearted kid play.

"Okay you two, knock it off…" Rick grabbed Landon by the arm and shoved him back towards his own bunk.

Landon reluctantly climbed back into his bunk after giving Jack the finger.

"Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow at the mess hall, bright and early." Rick turned to leave, "Night ladies." He exited, and slammed the door.

"Night hun…" Jack mocked him in a girly voice, and everyone roared with laughter.

"Jake toss me the magazine," Landon held his hands in the air, and Jacob tossed him his prized magazine. Landon caught it, and slipped it back into it's hiding place, under the mattress.

_How original._

"Jacob, do you know that Bella girl or something?" Jack asked out of nowhere.

I snapped my eyes up to stare into Jacob's, and Jacob was unsure what to say.

_Oh fuck..._He looked at me for an answer, and I shrugged at him.

"You too Edward…I mean, I heard you're all from the same town…" Landon leaned over the edge of his bunk and looked at us both for an answer.

I guess it couldn't hurt…"Well…yes…we went to the same school." I admitted. "But we didn't really know each other. We weren't really the same sort." I lied.

Jake added in his two cents. "He's right. We didn't really know each other. And even by the looks of this one," he pointed at me, "I hated him from the beginning.

I laughed. _Asshole…_

"Oh…so none of you are…seeing each other?" Jack hesitantly asked.

Before I could say yes or even no, Jake jumped in.

"Actually, Edward and I are dating. It's been on and off, I have to admit, but I think under these circumstances, we can finally take it to the next level." Jake kept a serious face while he spoke, and he blew me a kiss at the end of his joke.

That's when he finally broke face, and everyone was laughing.

"You're sick," I turned over onto my back, and stared at the ceiling.

"Whatever, you know you love me," he joked.

I sighed. Even though I didn't really like Jacob, he was sort of growing on me, and I was thankful that he was able to deflect the serious questions with his humour. I don't think I would have been able to answer that question.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

"Bella, want to play truth or dare again?" Karen looked at me from across her bunk, and I shook my head no.

"I can't. I have a date with the _Carpe Diem_ crew…" I put on a pissed off face, but honestly, I was sort of anxious about what was going to go down tonight.

"What! No! Don't go!" Brooke cried out, and I sighed.

"I know, it sucks. But I'm trying to get out of it. Hopefully this will be my last meeting," I lied. _Better not be…_

"It better be, because you running off in the middle of the night is going to get us in trouble," Karen said.

That was Karen. Only concerned for her own well being. _God love ya girl…_

"What are you going to be doing?" Brooke asked.

I had no fucking clue. All the note said was to meet in the usual area, and don't be fucking late.

"Umm…probably passing out drugs. I don't really know…we haven't really been able to get our hands on some good stuff lately, and it's been really lacking in quantity."

"Holy shit you need to get off that crap," Karen said, "It's quite pathetic listening to you talk about getting high. I'm kind of sick of it."

"Shut up. I'm not addicted to the drugs. I'm just addicted to the fun, and feeling of freedom they offer."

"Is there a difference...?" Tracy whispered from her bottom bunk.

Everyone was shocked that she had spoken up, but nobody argued with what she had said.

I guess there really wasn't a difference…

**-x-**

I told the girls I would be back in an hour or so, depending on what the meeting was about. They were pissed off. They didn't like me going off in the night without them.

Well too bad. I needed to.

I slipped out of the cabin door, and shut it carefully in order to not make a noise. I looked up at the sky, and the moon was out and bright as ever. It lit my way down the path, and onto other connecting paths, and I was able to see where I was going.

I was also able to see the white vampire, blocking my way down the path.

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked, walking up to him. I tried to step around him, but he simply kept stepping in front of me.

"I could say the same," he said, "Now where are you headed this time?"

"Nowhere," I tried to shove past him again, but this time he grabbed my wrists, flipped me around so that my back was crushed to his chest, and he started walking me back in the direction of my cabin. "Stop Edward! You don't know what you're doing!"

"No, _you_ don't know what you're doing," he finally just lifted me off the ground instead of dragging me, and threw me over his shoulder. "I'm saving your life."

I laughed, but it wasn't like the laughing from earlier this night. It had more of a mocking tone. "No Edward, you'll be the death of me if you don't put me down this second!"

He didn't stop walking, and he didn't loosen his hold on my body that was dangling over his shoulder.

I stared off in the distance at the path that was getting further and further from me, and couldn't stop thinking about what Hatcher was going to do when I didn't show up tonight.

He really did have no idea. I had taken an oath for this group. I agreed that if I was in it, I had to be _all the way_ in. He didn't know what would be headed my way if I didn't get there tonight. And honestly, I didn't want to know either…

"I hate you so much right now. Do you understand that?" I yelled, not caring if anyone could hear me or not. But he didn't respond, and he continued walking.

He got me back to my cabin and dropped me back onto the ground. "I'll be watching your cabin all night. Don't get any ideas."

I huffed, and walked up to the door, but before I opened it, I turned to him. "You'll regret this."

Edward shrugged, "No, you'll thank me in the long run."

"There won't be a long run, that's what you don't get." And I opened the door and slammed it shut behind me.

The girls were still up, and I had to glare back at their questioning stares.

"That was quick," Karen said, leaning up on her elbows.

"Sure fucking was…" I sighed. "I decided I don't really need to be there tonight, that's all."

Karen looked at me weird, but she and the rest of them swallowed the lie and laid their heads back on their mattresses.

I jumped up onto my bunk bed, and curled under the blanket after kicking off my boots. Hopefully I could fall asleep quick, but knowing Edward was keeping tabs on me only pissed me off.

Instead of sleeping, I stared at the ceiling all night, and wondered what the first thing Hatcher would say to me after missing a very important meeting.

Probably to watch my back…but Edward seemed to be doing that for me now- unfortunately.

He can't make the decisions for me forever. He thinks he's helping me, but he's far from it.

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Long and a lot of conversation, which isn't very exciting.

**Review and tell me what you guys think.**


	23. Raise a Little Hell Anyone?

**A/N: **Just a quick note. I wasn't really pleased with the last chapter, so I quickly wrote another chapter just to let you guys know that this story _is_ going places. I think some of you are thinking that I'm dragging this story on too long, but I want to prove to you that it has potential.

**Refresher:** Edward won't let Bella go see Hatcher, and Bella is pissed. (That was chapter 22).

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Chapter 23: Raise A little Hell Anyone?

**BPOV**

It was early in the morning, and we still had time before we had to be at the mess hall. I didn't even feel like eating today. I knew I would never get to be high again, and that only made me crave it even more.

I just wish I could be swallowed up by my cabin, and never have to face Hatcher again. She was obviously going to disown me from the group, and I was angry about this. It wasn't my fault I couldn't get to her meeting, but she was the sort of person who didn't listen to excuses.

Maybe I should disown her…but it would be hard. I need drugs.

No I don't.

_Yes you do._

No I fucking don't!

I snapped my body up off my bunk, and my head smashed into a beam of the cabin ceiling.

To say it hurt, well, it more than hurt…

"FUCKING GOD!" I yelled out, falling back down onto my mattress, and turned over onto my stomach to try and shove the tears back into my body.

"What was that? Did you just try and knock yourself out?" Karen was laughing, and it was really fucking annoying.

"No!" I said under my arms, and in between my sobs. "I forgot I was on top bunk!"

"That's pretty dumb, you've been here nearly two months in the same bed," she accused me of being an idiot, and I flipped over onto my back and glared at her.

"Aren't you guy's sick of this place…?" I covered my face with my hands, and waited for them to call me crazy.

"What do you expect us to say to that?" Brooke said from her bottom bunk, "Hello, it's just as difficult for us here as it is for you! Our lives suck as well!"

I uncovered my face and leaned up on my elbows.

"Oh yeah? You think so? I'm willing to test that theory. How does this sound," I sat up and crossed my legs, and began to tick off the problems in my life, "I was a weak pathetic prick when my boyfriend left me, so I turned to drugs. Drugs opened up my life, and now I feel like they are all I have. Some days I admit I need them, some days I pretend I don't. Today, I'm unsure. Hatcher is going to murder me since I missed her meeting, and now I know I will not be getting drugs here, and I'm going to die from the withdrawal symptoms."

Brooke actually laughed at me. "Oh please hun. You're a druggie, no surprise there. You don't need it, so give up on it," she looked at her nails as she talked, and that pissed me off how she was giving advice on something she knew nothing about.

"You know nothing about hell. _Trust me._" I said, looking her up and down.

"Fuck you Bella. I know everything about _hell_. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night because your step dad wants you to comfort him, and then imagine you telling you're mom this and her calling you a liar!" Brooke yelled, and then collapsed back into her mattress, and started crying.

I felt like a bloody idiot. Suddenly my issues with drugs seemed half ass compared to her problems.

She cried, and cried some more, and all of us were too insecure to go down and comfort her. That was one thing about Camp Archstone; the only shoulder you had to cry on was your own. At least it made you stronger.

"Whatever though…." Brooke wiped her eyes, and sighed finally. "So that's why I was sent here. Because I'm this big _liar_…and I _never_ lie…" her shoulders started to shake from holding back the sobs. I didn't really know much about Brooke, but I knew I hated her mum.

"It's okay dude, I have a shitty mom too…" Karen looked at Brooke, and then at the ceiling. Her eyes may or may not have already begun to start watering, but she was pro at hiding her emotions- usually. "I got pregnant at 15, and my mom made me get an abortion."

I tried not to gasp, but I couldn't help it. I was so wrong about Karen, I felt sort of bad for the past comments about her never getting with any guys. That was inconsiderate of me. But I didn't know her history…

"Yup, I'm from a catholic family, and a supposed virgin couldn't be preggers!" she was laughing, but it began to fade as her eyes looked off in the distance, and she started to recall moments of her life that probably were shitty.

We laid still on our mattresses. We didn't judge, because we knew one thing; we were all in the same boat.

"And I used to be pretty like you three too!" Karen wasn't done with her pity party, and she was now yelling. "I had a pretty face like you Tracy, and a good body like you Bella! And Brooke…I had your personality…"

Brooke actually laughed, and so did the rest of us.

"But I was so depressed after…I felt terrible. I felt like a fraud. So I stopped acting like the perfect girl I knew I wasn't, and I showed my true colors…and that's why my mom sent me here. She's hiding me from the rest of the world."

It was true. We could all agree with that. Our parents were ashamed of us, and this was the only place that could take us and try and "fix us".

The room went quiet again, and I wasn't expecting Tracy to share anything personal with us. She never talked with the rest of us, and it was fine. She was just insecure.

"Going to join in the pity party Tracy? Or are you going to take our stories, and not put out any?" Karen said, glaring down at Tracy. She was already back to being mean.

"Quit it Logan," I said her name so she knew I was being serious with her. She just held up her palms, and turned over onto her stomach.

But what no one was expecting was the girl under the bunk to have a voice today.

"I've tried to kill myself twice," Tracy said lowly under her bunk bed.

I snapped my head over to Karen, and she was covering her mouth from shock. Her eyes were wide, just like mine and Brooke's. Who would have thought that Tracy had that much guts…

Tracy slid out from under the bunk, and went and leaned on the cabin door. She kept her eyes either on the floor, or looking off to the left, where no one could make eye contact with her.

"The first time I tried slitting my wrists," she turned over her arm, and sure enough, long vertical scars –because everyone knows, it's down the street, not across the road- glowed on her skin. "But the veins collapsed, causing the bleeding to stop, and my parents found me passed out in my room before I could slip away."

She talked without any emotion in her voice, and she wasn't breaking down or getting angry like we had.

"The next attempt was drug overdose," her eyes actually scanned over towards me, but they quickly found the ground again, "But I knew nothing about drugs and where to get them…so I took the whole bottle of Prozac from my cupboard all at once…"

Brooke started to rock back and forth under her bunk. She seemed to be more affected by Tracy's story than Tracy herself.

"My mum caught me just as I swallowed the last pill, and she called 911, even though I begged and begged her not to…and twenty minutes later, my stomach was being pumped, and two days later, after finding a half written suicide note in my top drawer, I end up here."

I shook my head in disbelief. This wasn't where she needed to be. She needed better counselling than this dump.

"I have the perfect life, but I am just too bloody insecure to live it," she admitted. She walked back over to her bunk, and crawled back into her hole.

None of us spoke. We all just breathed, and thought about why life had to work out shitty for certain people.

Suddenly, our cabin door swung open, and Sharon walked in. This wasn't the appropriate time to see her…

"Girls, I just want to inform you that we will not be meeting at the mess hall like usual. We will be going on a wilderness expedition, and I would like to meet you four at the canoes. We will be going with Rick's group, as well as a few others, so we'll be waiting for you," she smiled, and turned to leave.

"Don't hold your breath," Tracy said out of nowhere. Sharon heard, stopped in her spot and turned to look at _me_.

"Watch it Swan…" She turned and left, and everyone started laughing.

"Holy fuck that woman is insane!" I laughed, jumping down from my bunk. Tracy was staring at me.

"Sorry Bella," she said lowly, but I waved it off.

"Dude, it's fine," I smiled, looking up at the rest of my group. "Guys, we need to start living it up here. Our home lives suck…but that doesn't mean it has to here…"

The rest of the girls smiled, and I even got a grin out of a timid looking Tracy.

"What are you saying Bella?" Brooke asked, grinning hugely.

"I think you know what she's saying," Karen jumped down from her bunk and came face to face with me. "You want to raise a little hell?"

I nodded, and smiled just thinking about the possibilities. "They wanted to catch us off guard with this little surprise trip into the wilderness…I say we surprise _them_…"

Brooke stood up from under her bunk. "Bud, I think you're totally on to something," she turned to look at Tracy under her bunk. "Are you in or not?"

Tracy crawled out from under her bunk, and looked at all our anxious faces.

She grinned bigger. "Of course I am." She held out her hand, and I pulled her to her feet.

"Fucking right you are." I said. I squeezed her into a group hug with the rest of us, and we all squealed like a bunch of loser pricks that we were.

Suddenly, life at Camp Archstone was taking a turn for the better. It was our turn to take life by the horns, and by god, were we ever going to.

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**Reviews are read, and the good ones I respond to. lol. **

**Okay****, I hope that chapter was better. It probably has more spelling mistakes, but that's because I did this in half an hour.**


	24. I Want the Red One!

**Refresher: **The girls decided they want to raise a little hell.

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Chapter 24: I Want The Red One!

**Edward's POV**

"Edward, what's going on?" Jacob whispered to me as he put on one of the new white t-shirts the camp workers were handing out to everyone.

I shrugged into my t-shirt, along with all the other boys, and looked at him. "Were you not listening? I mean…god Jacob…" I shoved past him and the other guy residents, and jumped down onto the docks. Jacob stumbled along behind me.

"Get into your canoes boys! Choose one before the girls groups get here," Rick yelled at us. The girl residents seemed to be taking awhile. Maybe they were putting up a fit about having to go into the wilderness for a camping trip.

I mean, I know I was shocked…and I'm a mind reader…

"Which one you want Edward?" Jacob pointed to the long line of canoes hooked up along the long docks. "I kind of like the red one…but maybe that's just me…"

_Jesus…_"The red one's fine." I said, and he jumped into it, and if it hadn't have been tied up, it surely would have toppled over.

"Whoa this thing is fragile. We weigh a lot dude…do you think…" he was scanning over the canoe, and I rolled my eyes.

"Are you scared that you may have to go for a swim, dog?" I stepped into the boat, and Jacob's eye widened as the boat sunk a little lower- but it held together. "It's fine, calm down."

"I am calm!" he yelled, but then he started laughing. "Just kidding."

I stared at him. The way he acted reminded me of a small child. The kind parents left in the car when they went to the store, and they _happen_ to leave the windows up.

"Hatcher!" a boy's voice from one of the other docks yelled. I looked over at the thin looking boy, waving up towards the mess hall. I snapped my head up in that direction, and sure enough, Hatcher and a few other girls were headed down to the docks.

That's not good…

I watched as she gave him a sly look, but they didn't exchange any verbal words. She simply walked down a dock about ten meters away from ours, and got into a canoe with her group.

"Who are they?" Jacob asked, nodding over at the other residents whom we never hang around with.

"They're older residents- they've been hear longer than us. I guess they're coming too…" I looked away when I could hear Bella's crew coming down a path in the woods.

"Here comes Bella…" Jacob said, nodding towards the path where Sharon emerged.

_You're smart…_I scanned the path until finally, four girls stumbled out smiling.

"Why are they so happy?" Jacob asked. "They like their new shirts or something?" he laughed at his own joke, and I rolled my eyes.

"They do seem in a good mood…" I tried to read their minds for information, but they were all thinking random thoughts.

_I better not fall in the water…_

_This is gonna be CRAZY FUN!_

_Raise a little hell, raise a little hell, raise a LITTE HELL! _One girl sang over and over in her head.

I shook my head out of their minds, and concentrated only on Bella. She was grinning, and looking happy; that is until she looked over at the other dock, and her face fell.

**BPOV**

Hatcher glared at me from the other dock.

I gulped.

My camping trip suddenly didn't seem so happy-go-lucky. If she was coming with us…I didn't even want to think about it.

Who knows, maybe she isn't. Maybe they're going somewhere else. Maybe they're not…

"Who's the boy behind the other guy?" Karen asked, nodding towards a canoe with Edward and Jake.

I laughed at Jake, who was giving our group the finger. "That's Jacob."

"I don't like him. He has one of those faces that need to be punched in," she said.

I laughed even harder.

"Girls, get into groups of two, and find a canoe." Sharon said, pointing towards the dock with the boys group. "And leave the hiking bag in the middle of the canoe!"

"Sharon are you coming?" Brooke asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm staying back, and another group leader will be taking over for me.

I gave Karen a grin, and she grinned back.

I was stoked the old lady wasn't coming. But my grin fell off my face when I saw Larry coming down a path.

"Oh no!" I whispered to Tracy. "Fuck my life!"

Tracy's eyes wondered over to Larry, and she sunk back into herself. She was just as uncomfortable around him as I was.

"Larry and Guy will be taking my spot," Sharon said, pointing towards Larry, and sure enough, Guy came out of the path behind him.

_Oh thank god! GUY!_

"Now go get into a canoe, and wait for instructions," she pointed more fiercely down at the docks, so we obeyed.

I paired off with Karen, because Brooke and Tracy left me with her. But even though she's a bitch, I usually had more fun with her anyway.

"Bella, get in this one," Jake pointed to the canoe in front of theirs. I shrugged, and climbed into it. Karen followed behind me, and I had to hold back the chuckles when she nearly sunk our canoe.

I decided to take the back seat, since Karen probably wasn't a very strong paddler, and also, I was able to turn around and talk to Jake, who had taken the front of his canoe.

"What do you think of this surprise trip?" I asked him, and I noticed Edward trying to look around Jake to get a view of me.

"It's going to be awesome. It will be just like when we were back in Forks. Remember when we camped out in the La Push woods because your dad had filed your name as a runaway, and everyone in town was looking for you!" we threw back our heads and laughed. "Too bad this won't be like that. It was so exciting!" he sighed, and we both turned our heads to the approaching Larry and Guy.

"It can be…" I eyed Jake carefully, and a devious smile formed across my face.

He knew what I was saying, and he grinned. "Really…" he turned back to look at Larry, and I knew he was contemplating doing a little hell raising himself.

I tried to hide the smile on my face, but I couldn't. I was actually excited to piss off the camp workers, especially if it was Larry.

"Okay you two groups, are you guys ready for an adventure?" Larry walked down the docks, and I covered my face to keep from laughing.

Brooke didn't. "LAME!" she screamed out, and Karen and I let out a few chuckles.

"Excuse me, you know the rules about talking out!" Larry yelled over in her direction. "Besides, this will be nothing like what you guys have experienced in your lives."

_Fucking right…_

We watched as he got into a canoe, careful not to tip it so he wouldn't get his favourite navy t-shirt wet. Guy sat behind him, and didn't look very pleased to have to share a canoe with him.

"Okay, we'll be meeting up with the other more mature residents later on tonight, but today we will be experiencing a full day of adventure!" he said this with too much enthusiasm, and I looked over at Hatchers group, and she was thankfully not paying attention to me, and staring at her group leader. "Let's go!" Larry yelled, unhooking his canoe and pushing his boat away from the dock.

I did the same, and tried to beat Edward and Jake out, but they were ahead of us.

_Stupid vampire, fucking loser werewolf…_

"Okay, everyone see that cove waaaaay over there?" Larry yelled over the splashing of ores, and laughing from other canoes.

I squinted, and sure enough, there was another side to the lake.

"We meet there. I will be leading the way, but try and stay close so you don't get left behind," he turned, and finally put his paddle in the water, but Guy seemed to be doing all the work.

Followed closely behind the loser canoe was Rick and some other nameless counsellor. Actually, I believe he was the one Edward had punched. Oh memories…

Karen turned around to look at me, and I gave her a sly smile. "I think we need a group meeting…" I nodded over towards Brooke and Tracy, and they were waiting for us a bit of a ways away from the docks.

Karen steered us over there, and we paddled over beside them, and Tracy steadied our boats side by side.

"Hey guuuurls," I looked off in the distance, and saw that the boys group were paddling fast away, with Larry and Guy in front of them. Edward kept turning his head around to watch our stationary boat. "Anyone want to go for a swim?" I asked.

Brooke started laughing, and Karen groaned. "I am NOT going in the water. I _hate_ water."

"Not even for a laugh?" I grinned at her, but she swore and looked angrily off in the distance. "Come on…you owe me a swim…"

"Shut it Swan, let's just try get back up there with the other boys, and we'll see."

I looked at the other two girls and shrugged, and then Tracy let go of our boat, and we were paddling again.

**Tracy's POV**

I really wanted to be apart of the whole "raise a little hell" thing, but as I was watching Bella and Karen chuckle to each other from a couple meters away, I was choking on the inside.

I was afraid of getting in trouble, honestly. And these girls didn't care if they ever got out, or if they looked silly while making fools of themselves.

I did.

I don't want to come off looking like an idiot, and I especially don't want all the attention on me.

"How do you feel about all of this?" Brooke asked from behind me.

I started paddling harder. "I don't really know…" I lied. "It's cool."

"Yeah it sure is. I think it will be exciting to get the counsellors in a fluster," she laughed after she said this, obviously thinking of possible situations we could get into.

I didn't say anything. I just kept dipping my paddle into the brownish calm water, and I kept my eyes straight on the shimmering distance ahead.

I wanted to agree with her really bad, but for some reason, I had chickened out in the last ten minutes.

I'm an idiot.

**Edward's POV**

We were paddling fast; or at least I was. Jacob kept getting side tracked, and looking up at the huge mountains off in the distance, or looking up at the clear blue sky.

I didn't say anything though. Arguing with him was pointless.

"This isn't half bad," Jacob said, turning around to look at me, but his eyes weren't on me at all. "Whoa, what's Bella doing?"

I snapped my head around over my shoulder, and sure enough, Bella's canoe was quite a distance away from ours, and she was standing up with Karen, rocking her boat.

"Jesus Christ…" I said under my breath.

"Awww, looks so fun! Can we do that?" he began to stand, but I grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back in his seat.

"Sit down. That's childish behaviour," I turned around and stared at the canoe that was severely swaying now, and I just wanted to jump out and strangle these girls for wanting to screw around in the middle of a lake.

"Who cares if it's childish, it's fun!" he whined.

I turned and glared at him.

"You're zero fun, Edward Cullen."

_Good._

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

It was my idea to stand up, and it was my idea to drag Karen into it.

"Come on Karen, get up. We're not going to fall in, it's just for fun!" I grabbed her arm, and she swatted me away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Oh fuck off, and stand up. It's just a game." I grabbed her arm again, and this time, she slowly began to rise.

_Wow, that was easy. I didn't even have to call her a wuss…_

"Bella, if I fall in the water, I'm going to _kill_ you!" she grabbed onto my wrists, and I grabbed onto hers. That's when I started rocking the boat. "Seriously! I swear to god Swan!"

I started to laugh as I swayed the boat even harder, and Karen actually started to grin out of the corner of her mouth.

"Are you suddenly enjoying yourself or something?" I yelled over the splashing of the water, and moaning of the canoe.

She nodded, "In a second I will-"

And that's when she shoved me.

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It's getting there. I just wanted to post tonight.


	25. Nice Boxers

**Refreasher: **Bella's group, along with Edwards, is on a wilderness expedition. Hatcher's group is also along for the ride, but they are not in close proximity with Bella's crew- yet.

Last chapter, Bella and Karen are in their canoe, and screwing around, until Karen can't take a little kidding around, and shoves Bella.

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Chapter 25: Nice Boxers

**EPOV**

Jacob's voice was just background noise as I stared in the direction of Bella's boat. He wouldn't shut up with the chit chat, and even worse, Bella wouldn't stop scaring Logan with the swaying of the boat.

Logan finally had her breaking point, and her intentions were as clear as day as soon as Bella really started shaking the boat.

"Are you suddenly enjoying yourself or something?" Bella yelled over the splashing of the water, and moaning of the canoe.

Logan nodded, "In a second I will-"

And that's when she shoved her.

**BPOV**

Since Karen was being a prick, I knew she was going to pull something like pushing me into the water.

But just like her life, she failed miserably. I simply fell back in between the hiking bag and my bench seat, and avoided a swim.

"Fuck!" she yelled, dropping down to take her seat at the front of the boat.

"That's right, you're fucked," I climbed off the floor of the canoe, and sat back down on my bench at the back, "Hope you know how to swim Karen…" I gave her a terrorizing look, and she tried to give an innocent face.

But Karen was never innocent.

"Bella, I wasn't _actually_ going to push you in..." she tried to say this with a cute little face. But nothing about Karen was cute.

"I know, and I believe you," we started paddling again, and I noticed Edward's boat wasn't moving, "And I'm not _actually_ going to try and drown you, I'm just going to scare you a little…" And by a little, I meant a lot.

"Shut up…" she turned her head away from me to concentrate on paddling, and I grinned to myself at the fact that I had actually scared Karen- a little.

**EPOV**

I let out a breath when Bella sat back up, and started terrorizing Logan again. She was enjoying herself in her own little world where group counsellors, like Larry, didn't exist. If only Larry were ignoring Bella as well as she seemed to be ignoring him…

"BELLA AND LILA! COME TO THE FRONT OF THE GROUP!" Larry yelled. He had stopped paddling, and so did the other boys and girls canoes.

Slowly, Bella and Logan picked up their pace, and finally, they made it back up to our group of huddled canoes. They let their canoe collide right into ours.

"Stop that! You don't own these, so don't damage the canoes," he tried to get Bella's attention with a stern look on his face that made him look like he meant serious business, but she was, of course, distracted by Jacob. "Stop giving those girls the finger Jacob Black," Larry yelled, trying his glare on Jacob. Jacob instantly dropped his hand, and chuckled under his breath.

"Excuse me, is there a break during this thing?" Landon asked, rubbing the back of his neck. The sun was high in the sky, and our new t-shirts weren't giving much coverage from the sun.

"No, the other groups are already ahead of us. We need to catch up, and set up camp," Larry pointed with his paddle in the direction of the cove, "Not much longer, let's pick it up. Oh, Bella and Lila, you're leading the group now."

Jacob and I started laughing when Bella gave Larry a look, and rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Enough boys…" Guy started paddling their canoe away slowly, and Bella and Logan made their way to the head of the group.

I looked at Jacob and he grinned at me.

_Bella's a fucking idiot! _He laughed in his head.

"No she's not." I glared at him, but then started paddling with the group when he looked at me shocked.

"You heard me…?" he had a confused look on his face.

I ignored him, and tried to look off in the distance as I paddled the boat alone.

Then he started remembering flashbacks of him in forks…

_He was driving his motorcycle with another boy whose face was hidden by a hoodie. _

_His friend was going too fast, and Jacob was worried for him. Then his friend crashed into a ditch, and Jacob was swearing and jumping off his bike to see if he was __okay__._

_The boy laid perfectly still in the ditch, and Jake jumped into the ditch, and was screaming "Dude! Are you Okay!" _

_Jacob then looked down at the boy's bloodied face._

I gasped and glared back into Jacob's eye's when I saw that his careless friend was definitely not a boy.

"I guess you're a mind reader…" Jake stared into my furious eyes.

"You're the boy Bella rode motorcycles with!" I growled.

It was so obvious now. I don't know why I hadn't even thought about it before. He's a wild boy; why wouldn't he talk her into such dangerous stunts?

"Yes I am. But it wasn't always like that-" he tried to defend her crashing, but I wasn't listening.

"You're so lucky that there are witnesses around right now..." I was shaking my head in frustration, "Because honestly, I think I could kill you."

"Dude, you're totally creeping me out right now!"

"I don't care Jacob! That's my girlfriend!" I yelled, and the moment the word 'girlfriend' left my mouth, I shoved the paddle hard into the water, and nearly tipped the boat.

There was an awkward silence, but Jacob was contemplating with himself on bringing up what I had just called Bella.

I decided to hurry him along. "Just say it Jacob."

"Is she your girlfriend?" he asked shyly.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "No."

He nodded, and that simple nod won that battle.

I felt a growl slipping up my throat, but I held my breath, and managed not to rip the pups head off when I spoke next. "She is to me…she just doesn't know it yet."

He laughed, and that's when I decided a paddle worked best to hit a werewolf in the back.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

It had been a half hour, and finally, we made it to the cove. And thank fucking gawd for that. I was beat, Karen was beat, and by the looks of Larry's soaked navy shirt, he was beat.

"Okay Bella, lead us over to the cove, and take the shore directly in front of us," he yelled up to me and Karen.

But even though I heard him clearly, I couldn't help but notice something else in our path to the cove.

"Karen, is that a float with a high diving board…?" I grinned while I stared at the strange contraption floating in the middle of the cove.

It was a wooden float, like the one we had spent hours on in the storm, but obviously much bigger. And what held my interest was the weird looking ladder contraption about ten or twelve feet high, with a small ledge to dive off.

"Bella….what are you saying…?" she turned to look at me, and I pulled my attention off the float and into her scared eyes.

"I'm saying, let's go for a little swim…" I pulled my paddle out of the water, and to that, she started shaking her head violently and swearing.

"No fucking way. Don't, I'm so serious. I'm not going in the water, and I will seriously drown you if you flip this!" she looked like she was going to cry, and I was beginning to believe that I might have to make a solo dive after all.

"Come on….please?" I gave her a cute little look, but that would never work on Karen. She was a butchy bitch.

"Fuck off. I'm not going in. And we can't get this hiking bag wet. It has our sleeping shit and stuff in it."

She had a point. _Damn Karen_.

"And Larry is right on our asses. You can't just-" she glared at me when I suddenly stood up and stretched. "What are you doing?"

I looked up at the sun, and it was high in the sky. I looked over at Larry who was now calling my name, telling me to 'sit the fuck down', and everyone else was behind him in their canoes staring at me.

"Bella…wait until we're on land to start with this hell raising stuff." Karen tried to persuade me to her lame side, but I was already stripping down to the bare essentials; my bra and boy boxers. "Eww where'd you get those boy shorts…" she was giving me a grossed out look.

"Honestly, I have no idea…" I lied. I had stolen them the same day I was given my new camp outfit. I figured I would need them.

"You're sick," she gave me a grossed out look, and I laughed.

"Oh please," I looked behind me, and saw that Larry and Guy had started paddling hard in our direction, "It's not like they belonged to anyone before." I stepped onto the bench seat and wobbled a little when I couldn't quite hold my balance. "See you on the shore bud."

And I dove into the water.

**EPOV**

"Fucking paddle Edward!" Jacob started really pumping the boat forward when he saw Bella stand up, and remove her clothes. "We're going swimming too!"

Landon and Jack started hollering at Bella, and acting like the pervs they were. The only reason I didn't clobber them was because their boat was a far enough distance away from Bella's.

Jacob wanting to get into the water didn't bother me so much; only because I knew he wasn't interested in Bella in a romantical way. But that didn't mean I was going to let him in the water. Anytime Jacob got near Bella, Bella acted out ten times worse.

"Jacob, we're not going in. That's inappropriate behaviour," I tried to slow down the boat a bit, "Do you not hear me? You'll make the situation much worse than it needs to be!"

He sighed, and stared at Bella.

I did the same.

She was laughing about the boxers she had on with Karen. I was uncomfortable with the thought that she had random boxers on. But she looked good in them. And her skin was pure white in the sun, and her body was-

She suddenly jumped in the water, and Larry was screaming and swearing at her.

**BPOV**

The cool water tickled my skin when I first dove deep into the water, but as I rose to the top, it began to feel quite nice.

I burst the surface, and grinned at Karen, who was shaking her head at me, and pointing to the canoe that was headed in our direction.

Larry and Guy were paddling towards me from 40 meters away, and they were gaining quick. I just swam towards the float, and I swam as hard as I could until my hand came into contact with wood.

"Thank god," I exhaled when I pulled myself up onto the float, and I stood up to see the damage I had done.

About forty meters away, three canoes floated next to each other, with the passengers grinning and laughing at me. Landon and Jack were cheering and waving, so I waved back. Tracy and Brooke were laughing their asses off, and Jacob was pointing at me, and laughing at Edward. Edward was staring.

But I didn't have a chance to holler an invite to them.

"YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS TO GET BACK IN YOUR BOAT!" Larry yelled, pointing towards Karen who was ten feet away from the float, laughing so hard, I thought she was going to tip her boat.

I shook my head at him. Three seconds wasn't enough time, but it was enough time to climb that ladder….

I walked over to the left where the ladder greeted me, and I started climbing the ten feet. When I got to the top, I stood on the small piece of wood, and tried to keep my balance.

"Hey Karen, have you ever seen the Olympic diving team on TV?" I stretched out my hands in front of me, and continued to ignore Larry who was swearing at me form the water below. I could still hear Landon and Jack roaring with laughter, and I actually grinned to myself.

"Yes I have Swan, but it wasn't that impressive," she had a hand on her forehead to block the glare of the sun.

"Well that's because you haven't had the _live_ experience," I turned around and crept to the ledge so that my heels were no longer even on the board, and my toes were the only things holding me up. "One…two…two and a half…two and three quarters…THREE!

I jumped back, and did one full back flip, and then I smashed feet first into the water.

I quickly swam back up to the surface, because I knew Larry was right next to the float by now. And the moment my head came through the water, Larry was there, and he tried to grab my shoulder.

"Watch out Bella!" Karen yelled, and I ducked back under the water, and swam under his canoe, and under the float to the other side. For a second, I doubted that I would have enough breath, but when I saw the thick rope holding the float to the anchor, it scared me to the other side, and up out of the water.

I climbed back onto the float, and leaned onto the ladder to catch my breath.

Larry was glaring at me, and pointing back to my boat, but I ignored him. By now everyone was around the float, and they were grinning, and enjoying my spur of the moment antic.

Except Edward of course. He was motioning with his head to get back into the boat, and his eyes were pleading with me.

"Get back in your boat Bella…" Guy said sternly, and I snapped my head over to him, and saw the serious look on his face.

I sighed, waved Karen over, and jumped back into the canoe.

"You'll regret that," Larry said lowly, with his back to me.

I rolled my eyes at Karen, and grinned over at Brooke and Tracy. They both grinned back.

**-x-**

The area we pulled up to had a very small dock, which we tied our boats to, and used to steady our boats as we climbed out.

And the moment I hit solid land, Larry grabbed me by my wet hair, and dragged me towards the forest.

"Fuck off!" I yelled, kicking at him, and grabbing my hair to rip out of his hold. But he continued to pull, and I had to walk along so I wouldn't fall.

Guy was behind me instantly, and yelled at Larry to get his hands off of me. But words meant nothing to Larry, and he continued to drag me down a path, away from the rest of the groups who were pulling up onto shore.

My feet were getting ripped up from the branches, and small rocks, and Larry ignored my swearing.

"Let her go! This isn't the way to go about this!" Guy put a hand on the arm that was holding onto my hair, and Larry didn't like that invasion of his space. He shoved Guy away from him with his other hand, and Guy started yelling. "This isn't right! You can't touch her, you know that!"

But even before Larry could take in what Guy was saying, Edward was suddenly in the picture, and yelling over Larry.

"Get your hands off of her!" he yelled, getting right up in front of him. I looked behind Edward, and saw Jacob covering his mouth from the shock of what he was seeing. The joking atmosphere had really changed, and it was all because Larry had extreme anger issues, and extremely loathed me.

Larry did just what Edward said, and ripped me by the hair away from him, and into a tree. I fell hard over a fallen tree bough, scarped every inch of my body, and landed on the ground.

And I was expecting to see Edward kneeling over me, but instead, I saw him standing over Larry, who was on the ground, swearing.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

Logan and Bella were ahead of us in their canoe, already tying up their boat.

"Jacob, are you even paddling?" I asked, splashing him.

"Yes." He said, but his mind wasn't even on our light-hearted conversation.

I followed his gaze to where Bella was getting out of her canoe, and the moment she did, Larry grabbed onto her by the hair, and dragged her down a path.

"Holy shit!" he yelled, paddling harder.

I wasn't even aware that there were other canoes around. I just started paddling hard like Jacob, and we were at the docks in record_ human_ speed. We didn't even hook up the boat, we just jumped out, and I shoved Jacob out of the way, and I was in front of Larry in two seconds, yelling at him to let Bella go.

When he didn't let go of her, I charged at him, and that's when he chucked her aside, and _that's_ when I punched him in the face.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

Guy and Rick held Larry and Edward apart from each other, while the other counsellors headed back down the path to stall the rest of the residents into coming up the path at that moment.

Jacob walked causally over to me and grinned at me. "How's the view from down there Bella?" he had his hands in his pockets, and he looked like he had no intentions of helping me up.

I didn't have to answer him. Edward had immediately shoved through him, and was offering me his hand, and couldn't shut up with the 'Bella are you okay?' or 'Does anything hurt?' comments.

I ignored him, and took his hand. Nothing hurt on me. The only thing damaged was my ego; I felt like a fucking idiot for being Larry's victim again.

"He's crazy," I nodded over towards Larry, who was talking to Guy, and rubbing the back of his neck. Edward sighed, and put an arm around my shoulders, which surprisingly, I didn't shake off.

"Hell yeah," Jacob said, smooshing in between Edward and I, and wrapping an arm around both mine and Edward's shoulders.

I laughed. Jacob always cheered me up no matter what. He never made a big deal out of situations, and I loved that about him.

Edward twisted out of Jacobs close proximity, and gave me another look out of the corner of his eye.

I decided to tell him it didn't go unnoticed. "I'm fine Edward…" I sighed, shaking my head when he tried to nonchalantly look the other way.

He chuckled. "So you say," he pointed to the cut that was above the old scar on my leg. It wasn't really anything; just raw red skin.

"That's nothing," I admitted. "Compared to what I've been through…" I tried to laugh it off.

Edward just stared at my leg, and he didn't have to say anything for me to know what was going through his head.

_Everything_ was nothing compared to what I had been through…and that wasn't exactly the right choice of words.

Thankfully, Jacob was around to break the ice. "Nice boxers, Bella. Now what poor guy did you have to steal those from?" he winked, and Edward punched him in the arm.

Within seconds, I was laughing again.

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I took sort of a while to update. I don't really have a reason.


	26. Reflection Period

**Refresher: **Larry dragged Bella around, which is typical of Larry. Edward punched Larry, no surprise there. The residents just arrived at their cove, with Hatcher's group about a cove away, and have no clue what's going on.

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Chapter 26: Reflection Period

_After setting up camp, the residents are put into a group activity; an hour of silence. Break the silence, and then the hour starts over. After many trials and restarts, the residents finally participate. With only their thoughts to keep the time ticking, will our residents start coming to any realizations?_

**Tracy's POV**

I remember how I got to camp.

Mum and Dad told me we were going to be visiting my aunt Catherine, who lived a state away from us. I honestly believed it too; it was normal for us to pack up our suitcases, and spend the weekend there.

But this time, my parents got on one plane, and I got on another. I knew what was happening the moment the two men approached us outside of the airport, and I went along with it. They didn't need to tie me up, or throw a bag over my head like Bella; I was fine with leaving my life because I didn't really have one.

Mom started crying the moment I took one step away from her, and towards the men. But I didn't give them the satisfaction of a goodbye hug, or a wave, or even a look over a shoulder. All I knew was that there was no looking back, and if they wanted me to go away, fuck, I'd go away.

Camp Archstone is so much different than what I had expected. When I first arrived, I totally believed all the hype that I had heard about it, and I was scared shitless of any person who even looked at me funny. But I've learned from this experience that no matter the case, you really can get used to anything, and that it just takes time. Time really is the only thing we have here; that and our minds. It's torture enough to be stripped of anything that you once thought made you who you are, but it's a whole other story when you're forced to look in a mirror, and realize that the little voice in the back of your head telling you that _yes, you are a jackass_ is one hundred percent true.

I don't deserve this. I just want to die sometimes. Is that so terrible? Is a camp really going to fix that?

**Jacob's POV**

Originally, I hadn't really thought much about why I was sent here. I just knew my Dad wanted to teach me a lesson for being young and dumb, and this was the cure. Now as I'm coming off the drugs, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms off of just about everything, I realize that maybe I'm not so brilliant, and acting like an idiot wasn't that cool to begin with. Or maybe I'm high right now…I'm not sure.

I never was a bad kid. Either was Bella. But we were both in boring slumps of our lives, and we had a mutual agreement to start living. It was that easy.

But what I know for sure is that this camp isn't as bad as it could be, minus the random crazy camp worker, a.k.a Larry. I sure as hell wouldn't be doing as well as I am if Bella wasn't here with me. I know I wouldn't be having nearly as much fun, that's for sure. And she looks like she could say the same.

One tiny surprise of this camp that caught me off guard was Edward. I don't have to be a werewolf, with damn good instincts, to know that vampires aren't healthy to be around. But after living with him in such close proximities, swapping stories at bunk hours, and learning tidbits of random facts about each other, I can say that I was prejudice against him, as he was to me I'm sure.

Edward Cullen is a good fucking guy, and Bella gave me the wrong impression of him back in Forks. She made him sound like a prick. But that's Bella. She holds grudges.

**BPOV**

I hold grudges. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Instead of forgiving, forgetting, and letting go, I forgive, remember, and make you feel like an idiot for fucking me over.

I'm not even sure why I bother trying to forgive. I guess I like giving people this false impression that I may actually have gotten over whatever you did, and am back to liking you, when really….I'm a fake bastard.

Everything I'm thinking right now is completely the truth. And as I sit here during reflection period- which is what we're doing right now, sitting completely quiet- all I can think about is why I don't feel any of this towards Edward. Not even a little.

That scares me. It means I'm no longer pretending not to care that he left me, and maybe, starting to care for him. I don't want to go back to that, only because I like who I am right now.

I feel like I'm on the road to not acting childish, and in the beginning stages of acting like a young lady. What does that mean? And what will come next? High pony tails with scrunchies? Eating healthy? Joining a book club? No jaywalking?

No way. I'm going to be cool forever. You don't have to do drugs to be cool. Right? And you don't have to be a rebel child to be cool…I think…

If I start being friends, like best friends, with Edward…, god only knows what will happen to my coolness level. It's like he has super mind powers, and he uses his good looks against the weak girls who fall for that kind of shit. I was one of them once, and all he had to do was bat his lashes, and I would behave, and live my life any way he wanted.

I can't go back to straight A's….I just can't.

**EPOV**

I really wish I could read Bella's mind. As much as I don't want to know what she's thinking, there is nothing I want more than to know why she is looking at me right now with wide eyes, and shaking her head.

I think I know.

I've seen improvements in here. She smiles all the time- even if it's because she is making trouble for Larry. She look's amazing too. Her hair is looking healthy, along with her skin, eyes, and everywhere else that was affected by the drugs.

But one major difference is her smell. She smells delicious. _Finally too! _I had forgotten how appetizing her scent used to be, and now after a year of going without it, it hit me pretty hard, and it's making me fall for her all over again.

I know she should be out of the camp within a month or so. If she continues doing good, and staying away from Hatcher and Larry, she's golden. Its days like these when I see Bella's potential, and I can't help thinking about the way it used to be when Bella loved me, and everything was easy.

**BPOV**

I'm sorry, did Edward actually just sigh when he looked at me?

**Logan's POV**

There's nothing more annoying than being in a room full of gorgeous people- or in this case- a forest full of them. Tracy has a pretty thin face, and her hair never seems to be messy. Brooke is quirky, but she's still tall and skinny, Bella is Bella, and I fucking hate that. Edward doesn't need a description; he is god. And Jacob and Jack are pretty damn cute, with their hair all wispy in their eyes, and cute grins. All of it makes me sick.

Landon's ugly though. And thank god for that, because I need someone to make fun of. It's the only way I can come off as superior.

But I wasn't always this nasty. I used to have nice friends, a positive attitude, and have a tasteful sense of humour. That was another life. But after the abortion, I lost faith in how I was living, and I pulled a 180.

Everything in my life felt like a show for the public. I was a follower, and my parent's backs were always in front of me. I smiled when I didn't want to. I laughed when I didn't want to. And I did things I _never_ wanted to do.

Like getting an abortion.

The word abortion wasn't even in my catholic dictionary. Then again, either was sex. But the boy of my dreams happened to be at church camp the same week I went, and the rest was history.

My mom didn't even believe me when I told her I was preggers. I didn't even believe it. But she thought I was being insanely inappropriate with the jokes, and when I simply just stared at her, her face went blank, and she mouthed the word 'no'.

I felt violated after mom took me to the clinic the same day I told her. But mostly, I felt empty. I hated the feeling of being spineless. I hated the feeling of not having a voice. I hated not making my own decisions.

My mom didn't speak the whole car ride, but when we pulled into the driveway, all she said was "this didn't happen". She continued on with her day, talking/laughing on the phone, washing the dishes, and greeting Dad when he got home from work- without a single mention of my little trip to the clinic.

I just stared at her, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was on the outside looking in. I didn't want to be apart of this fake family. Everything from the white picket fence, to the rooster cookie jar in our country kitchen, was all put on for show. I didn't want be part of this suburban living family anymore; and it only took me fifteen years, and a $320 abortion to figure that out.

I changed myself- for the better. I hung out with people who _I_ found interesting, and I did things _I_ enjoyed.

That's why I'm here.

My mom sent me here to stop my bad habits that- what she thinks- were forced on me by satin and highschoolers. And what's even more hilarious than this is that my mom still hasn't spilled the beans about my clinic trip to anyone- not even to dad.

The way I see it, it's just a waiting game. And the truth will prevail.

**Brooke's POV**

I know I'm a good kid. There is nothing wrong with me. The only people with problems are my clingy stepdad, and my mom, who's looking at the world through rose coloured glasses.

I yelled at my mom when she told me I was being sent here- on the way to the airport. She pulled a fast one on me, exactly like that Simpson's episode…

But I made sure my mom knew she was making a huge mistake. I yelled and swore at her as strange camp workers dragged me to my terminal, and my mom turned her back on me, and pretended she didn't here my screams of "you'll be sorry!".

I know she will be too, if she isn't already. Because I can't wait to rub it in her face that she made a mistake, and when I needed actual counselling, and my mom in my life, she sent me to a camp- one with canoes of all things.

I'm not supposed to be here.

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A/N: A filler chapter...obviously.


	27. Sick & Tired

**A/N: **Wow, thanks for all the awesome reviews for the last chapter, considering it was quite a yawner. You guys deserve a hug or something, or maybe a little Edward & Bella time…

**Refresher: **Last chapter was that boring filler, remember? Haha, we learned about the characters, and got to learn how certain people came to be, and got themselves sent here.

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Chapter 27: Sick & Tired

**BPOV**

Sometimes I like the night. The silence of it intrigues me, and all I want to do is be quiet with it, and listen.

But then again, sometimes I don't like the night. I feel dark spaces have scary things living in them, and if I shut my eyes hard enough, those scary things will leave me alone.

And sometimes I feel like staring up at the moon, and pretending I am the only one who can see it so clearly and brightly. And I pretend the moon is out just for me, and it's thinking of me like I am of it.

Sometimes I do this every night…

No. I _always_ do this. I always stare at the moon, because for whatever reason, it gives me hope.

Why is that?

**-x-**

It's barely day two in the wilderness, and already I am beginning to regret not attending those Girl Guide camps from when I was little. Maybe I could have learned a thing or two about how to stay warm with only a sleeping bag, a cup, and a bowl.

Last night, I prayed to the stars for sunrise to come, and when I saw the butt crack of dawn behind the trees across the lake, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Will you shut your goddamn breathing off? I can't sleep with you taking up all the oxygen, you greedy bitch," Karen whined beside me, covering her head with her sleeping bag.

I turned over onto my side, and pretended not to hear her. I was too miserable from not getting a wink of sleep to even acknowledge the fact that I was sleeping next to a bunch of teenage screw-ups.

Yes, I am having one of those mornings where you wonder how life worked out this way for you. Like why the hell Lisa from fourth grade was so smart, and had really nice clothes, where I couldn't figure out a math problem to save my life, and I wore hand-me-downs from brothers and sisters that didn't exist.

I tilted my head up from under my sleeping bag to see if Larry, or any other camp workers, were watching me at the moment.

But it was still quite dark out; it was twilight, and the morning was just beginning. Sleeping bags were all around me, filled with bodies that had the luxury of sleep.

I slithered out of my sleeping bag, and crept out of our half-ass campground, and down towards the shore. I just needed a walk, because walking is so boring that it forces you to think, and when you think, that leads you to asking yourself questions.

Like why you're on a walk to begin with…

Down by the water, huge rocks were poking out from the surface. I walked down the steep ledge, and jumped onto one of them, and climbed up onto one of the boulders beside it.

Across the lake, where Camp Archstone was barely popping out from behind the trees, I could see the sun coming up. The sky was orange, mixed with a pinkish red. It was nice to see a different color other then green every so often.

I sighed, and watched the sun slowly inch out from the tree line.

And for some reason…I started to cry.

The last time I cried like this- full on shoulder shaking, dry heaves, and sounds I didn't know I had in me coming out- I was twelve, and my dog just got run over. Just thinking about that accident had me crying even harder, and for some reason, it felt unbelievable to release these emotions.

So I started remembering other points in my life when I should have cried like this…and that had me crying even more.

I thought about the day I got an F on an essay I had worked three days straight on, and how pissed off I was. I thought about the time Charlie told me he was embarrassed having a daughter like me, and how I pretended that this didn't bother me, but it really hurt so much. And I thought about the moment when Edward told me he didn't love me, and how I just shrugged, and told him I didn't love him either…when really, I had never felt so betrayed in my life…

I covered my face and muffled the scream I had been holding back this entire year. And then when I looked back up out into the water, I wiped the trees from my eyes, because that's what you do when you know someone is watching you. You hide the evidence of pain.

"What's wrong…?" a voice, from the boy I knew was watching me, asked from behind me.

I shook my head, and refused to admit anything being wrong. I just stared at the dark water leading into the dark of the morning.

I heard a movement behind me, and all the sudden, I was no longer the only one sitting on the huge rock.

I refused to look at him.

"Please," he whispered. "Tell me why you're upset…"

I tilted my head and looked at Edward's eyes. They were pleading with me for answers, and I didn't have them. I just started crying again, and he wrapped him arms around me, and pulled me into his side.

"I'm just so sick and tired of being sick and tired," I cried into his shirt. That was the only reasonable answer I could come up with for acting like such a bloody wuss.

And instead of making me dig deeper for explanations, and reasons for the tears, he just laughed.

And then for some reason, I was laughing too, in between the tears of course.

"Why are you laughing at me?" I asked with a smile on the corners of my mouth. I pulled myself away from him to get myself back together, and to wipe the tears away.

He shrugged. "Because I know exactly how you feel," he smiled, and his eyes traced over my face.

I unconsciously leaned forward, and our faces were an inch apart. I inhaled his scent, and that's when my heart took me back to the first day I knew I was in love with Edward Cullen.

"What are you thinking…" his breath was cold on my face, and he leaned in closer, and tilted his head to the right, while moving his shoulders to face me.

I was thinking of all the fun times I had had with him. Like the time we stayed out late, and how furious Charlie was. The time we went swimming, and it rained so hard, but we didn't care. The day we knew we were never _just_ friends. All these days had a perfect ending…

My eyes flickered to his, and he and I both grinned.

"Let me show you-" I said, but he beat me to it, and his lips were crushing mine, and his hands were sliding all over my body. But that was okay, because I was doing the same.

I had a handful of his shirt, and my other arm was wrapped around his neck while I kissed him. He then leaned over me, and one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist to keep me from falling away from him, while the other stayed secure on the rock to keep us both from falling into the lake.

This moment felt so right. I wasn't thinking of the future, or the past. I was living in the present, and when you do that, you enjoy life.

And right now, I truly was…

I pulled my face an inch away from his, and my breathing was hard, and his was as well.

"Jesus Christ," he tried to catch his breath, and I was racing after mine as well.

I nodded, "I know…" I said breathlessly, while I removed my hand from the neck of his shirt, and he pulled me so I was upright again. But then we both made eye contact again, and I was back on him, running my hands over his chest, while his hands tangled through my hair.

But I guess God doesn't like watching vampires and humans make out, because suddenly, we both slipped over the edge of the rock. I was under the water for all of two seconds, still clutching to Edward, until he pulled him and I above the surface.

"You alright?" he asked urgently, slipping an arm under my legs, and one behind my back to lift me from the water, and back onto the rock.

I nodded after spitting water from my mouth, and wiping the matted hair from my face.

"You sure? You look kind of angry…" he cocked an eyebrow at me when I glared at him.

"Maybe I am," I shoved myself out of his clutch, and he looked at me like I had done the most stupid thing.

"What's your problem Bella? It's just water." He continued eyeing me like I was an idiot.

"Exactly! And you still felt the need to have one of your epic rescues!" I stood up, and jumped onto the rock in front of the boulder, but I lost my footing, and I toppled forward.

Of course, I didn't land back in the water again, because Edward was quick and prevented that.

"You need to be more careful," he set me back down on the shoreline, and kept a hand on the small of my back.

"Edward, are you hearing me!" I shoved his hand away from me, "Stop it with the hero stuff. I just want to enjoy myself with you when you're not set on 'protect Bella' mode."

"I was just helping you-"

"I don't need help! That was the old Bella! I'm not her! I can't believe you don't know that by now!" I turned and walked back up into the forest, and prayed to god that I didn't embarrass myself and trip over something stupid.

Thankfully I didn't.

**-x-**

"Where've you been?" Brooke whispered harshly over to me when I streaked back through the darkness of the forest, and crawled back into my sleeping bag. Edward managed to get back into his without her even realizing he was gone.

_Lucky bastard…_

"On a walk," I said lowly, which was half the truth. I turned over onto my back, and rolled my eyes at how lame that sounded.

"Psst, more like Edward's face," Jacob said lowly.

I snapped my head in his direction, and he gave me a look like he was the most innocent thing living.

I mouthed the words 'fuck off', and he turned his back to me without another word.

"What did he say?" Brooke said lowly, not to wake anyone up.

"He said 'shut the fuck up'" I lied, pulling the covers over my face.

She gasped lowly, and said something under her breath about not liking him.

But I wasn't paying attention, because all I could think about was how my morning had already done 180, and back.

I really never did like camping…

_**45 minutes later…**_

"Wake up!" Rick and another camp worker yelled together, "We're already behind on our day!"

_Not me…my day never ended yesterday…_

"Swan, what's with that look on your face!" Rick kicked the bottom of my sleeping bag, but not as hard as Larry would of.

"Oh nothing," I turned over onto my stomach, covered my face with the covers, but even before I could get a good grip, Rick grabbed onto the footing of my bag, and ripped it off of me.

"Come on, let's go everyone!" He yelled to the groaning residents.

But I stayed lying on my side, with no intentions to remove my dirty, damp body from the ground.

"Bella, dude, you look like hell," Jacob came over, and offered me his hand, and I took it, and let him pull me off the ground.

"Karen, when you're done putting your sleeping bag in your bag, come get mine," I stepped over my bag, and she ignored me while she rolled up her own. I headed for the woods, because honestly, I needed to piss really bad.

But just as I was out of sight from our camping area, and in a good area to drop the pants, Edward came up behind me, and grabbed my arm.

"Bella what are you doing!" he said quickly and anxiously, shifting his eyes around.

"Oh look, it's superman. Are you here to help me undue the fly of my shorts? Because it get's caught sometimes-" he covered my mouth with his hand, and I wanted to bite it off, it pissed me off so bad.

"Stop being like that and listen! Larry is planning something, and you need to get on his good side or he's going to ruin you. Wondering off from camp isn't a good way to start the day." He dropped his hand off my face, and I shoved through him.

"Well excuse me if I have to piss! And my day didn't _just_ start…" I said the last part lowly as I walked back to camp, and saw that Larry was just entering it as I was.

_Hmm…Edward was right…_

"Residents! We need t get packed up and on the move. HUGE day ahead of us!" Larry yelled, throwing his bag over his back, and heading down to the canoes.

I ignored Edward's stare on my face, and I headed over towards my crew to get the facts straight.

Brooke, Tracy, and Karen waited with bags on their backs, and boredom forming on their faces.

"Don't worry ladies," I said lowly, pulling them in closer to me, "Today's the official day our hell raising begins…."

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A/N:

Dudes, like I had to end it off early because my 'o' key is fucking like jammed, and it won't work unless I hit it a bit harder. It's soo annoying. What do I do? 


	28. Looking for more Fun

**Refresher: **Bella and her group decide the hell raising needs to start.

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Chapter 28: Looking For More Fun

**Tracy's POV**

My eyes widened when Bella told me her plans, and I had to cover my face to prevent my eye sockets from crushing my eyeballs.

"Nervous Tracy?" Logan nudged me in the ribs, and I cringed.

Just thinking about what Bella was planning made me nauseous.

"Aren't you?" I uncovered my face and cocked an eyebrow at her, "Traveling at snail speed, faking injuries, tipping canoes, or getting lost can't _all_ sound that appealing. Especially the canoe one, considering your swimming technique…or lack there of…"

Logan punched me in the shoulder when she couldn't think of a comeback. I rubbed the area while Bella went over the instructions again.

"Don't wimp out on me now people! There are other, less challenging things we'll be doing as well. We make them up as we go, so it's going to be good," she smacked me on the back, and I now had another area to rub the sting away.

Why were these girls so physical?

"We won't wimp out. It's our time, let's do this shit!" Brooke said the last part in a manly voice, and I had to start walking away to the canoes to prevent myself from laughing in her face.

"Slow it down Tracy! Remember, let's keep our travels at turtle speed," Logan yelled from behind me.

Actually, I believe it was snail speed…not that I was lame enough to point that out.

Instead of acknowledging her, I continued walking down to the canoes at my own speed, while my crew lollygagged behind me.

_Lollygagged_…my lameness level no longer needed to be questioned. It was officially quite obvious.

**BPOV**

I knew I was on to some serious hell-raising the moment I saw Tracy trembling. She was already starting to crumble from the pressure to be had, and I hadn't even given out _all_ the instructions yet.

"Come on dudettes, follow my lead."

**-x-**

"Miss Logan, wrong canoe," Larry came up behind Karen and pointed to Brooke and Tracy's canoe. I sat in our canoe with a dropped jaw, watching the drama go down. "Ladies you don't mind sharing do you?"

Brooke looked over at me, but I couldn't even give her a response. "Sure. Not at all." She said confused.

"I didn't think so. It's just Bella plays so much nicer on the playground when she's alone," he turned to look at me with an amused smirk smeared on his face.

I had to look away from him to prevent myself from making a big deal out of nothing. But the golden eyes I looked into only made my heart skip a beat.

"I couldn't agree more," I said lowly in a nasty tone, while keeping perfect eye contact with Edward. Hopefully he got the message.

_**20 minutes later…**_

I was last in the long line of canoes because I suck at canoes, and you need more than one person to steer. It took me forever to get it pointed in the right direction, and when I did, a minute later I was going in circles.

"Come on Bella!" Rick screamed from the front of the line.

I gave him the finger.

"Don't give me the bird, Bella Swan. Get up here!" Rick screamed even louder. If I had my eyes closed, I could have sworn he sounded so much like Larry. But all screams sound alike after awhile…

"I'm coming you prick…" I mumbled, shoving the paddle hard into the water. I saw the girls canoe directly in front of me, all three of them staring at me, and waiting. Yes, _waiting._

I could see the longing in their eyes, even from the couple feet away. It was a longing for excitement. It was a longing for change. It was a longing for something so insanely stupid, and pointless, that _I_ could only be shameless enough to do it.

I grinned ever so slightly to the girls, and they happened to catch it, and giggled to themselves.

Edward happened to catch it to. He wasn't the giggling sort.

I stopped paddling, and let my canoe coast through the calm water. Rick, another counsellor, Guy and Larry were at the front of the line, about twenty meters in front of me, so that gave me time to just gander.

I was getting behind, and it was beginning to get quite apparent to the camp workers. Especially Larry.

"Bella! WHAT THE FUCK!" Larry screamed, fully turning around in his seat, and throwing his hands up in the air. "Everyone stop paddling! We're waiting for Bella!"

I laughed to myself when the residents let their canoes drift just like mine. I wasn't even that far behind. Maybe fifteen feet from the last canoe in line- which was the girl's canoe. It wasn't that big of a deal. He just liked keeping me on a leash.

"Larry! Help! My canoe won't go forward. I think the engine is shot! I think I'm gonna have to abandon ship!" I yelled, standing up carefully.

Residents started laughing, and Guy glared at me from his canoe he shared with Larry. He actually had the same glare on as Edward right now…

"Sit the fuck down!" Larry yelled, pointing at me as if he had some sort of mind powers to force me to.

The girls covered their mouths when the boat rocked a bit, and the boys chanted me on.

"Do it Bella!" Jacob yelled before Edward punched him in the chest. Edward shook his head at me, and mouthed 'please, no' to me.

I pretended it was 'please, go'…

"Sorry Larry, I'm really scared. I think the boat is leaking gasoline, and I don't want to be stranded in a motionless boat," I stepped over the middle seat, and took in the laughter from the residents, and ignored the yelling from the camp workers.

But even before I could make the decision to do a fancy dive into the water…the canoe capsized on me, and I was flipped into the water without a second chance to take it all back.

**Jacob's POV**

"Oh wow, that was graceful," I said sarcastically to Edward, who nearly tipped our own boat when Bella tipped hers.

"Shut it Jacob." He looked anxiously at the area where Bella splashed into the water, but she hadn't come up yet.

I pondered his orders for all of two seconds, but then decided to rattle his chain a bit.

"I think she hit her head on the way in."

He snapped his head over to me, and his snarl alone nearly ripped my face off.

"Kidding. Jeez…" I said lowly, crossing my legs, and leaning over to watch for Bella. But just more bubbles came to the surface, and nothing more.

"Why's she doing this?" he asked, combing his hands through his hair. "And why am I always asking that?" his voice was growing louder, and I had to shush him to prevent other residents from gaining notice.

"Dude, chill. She's always been pro at holding her breath. She's just having a little "me time." I said honestly, trying to calm him down.

He covered his face with his hands, and actually tried to hold back a chuckle. "Thank you _Jacob_. I know. She's hiding under the tipped canoe right now."

I gazed over at the flipped canoe, and sure enough, I did hear breathing beneath it.

"So don't tell me to chill. I'm fine." He relaxed his shoulders in a fake attempt to look at ease, but I knew him…well, sort of.

"Oh, don't give me that. You nearly jumped in and saved her right there. It's pathetic, really," I rolled my eyes at him, and he did the same.

"Oh yeah? What would you have me do?" he said angrily. "Sit back and watch the excitement go down, like you?"

"Yes," I said, "You could learn a thing or two from me, Edward. It could win _your Bella_ back over."

Edward housed a distasted look on his face, but his attention was on me. "What are you saying?"

"Pay attention man! If you start getting down to her level, and enjoying yourself with her, instead of acting like a fucking moron adult, she'd be all over you."

He laughed and shook his head. "Oh please, you don't know what you're talking about. You horse around with her all the time, but she isn't in love with you."

I decided to screw with him. "Isn't she?" I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he growled again.

"I can read your mind, dog. And _no_, she isn't." he said through clenched teeth while staring at the capsized canoe.

"Okay okay. She's not. But that's because I'm not that into her. She's not very attractive-"

He leaned over and punched me in the shoulder- really hard. "How can you even make such rude jokes? You're disgusting Jacob-"

"Because I know how to have fun," I said, "And she would have died with laughter if she heard me say that. She's a goofball. I'm a goofball. Don't you want that?"

"Bella is not a goofball. And no, I do not want that."

"Yes she is, and yes you do want that! If you become best friends with her, which I'm sure you never have been before…I think that's the perfect way to start over, and actually get her to fall for you."

"No. That's not true."

"It sure is. She likes you a lot. But she likes having fun _a lot_ more."

"You know nothing."

"Oh please, watch and learn lover boy…" I stood up slowly, and shrugged out of my shirt.

"Mr. Black, sit down right now!" Larry screamed from his boat, which was paddling slowly towards us.

"I will not. Our boat seems to be experiencing the same fate as Bella's, and I think I need to make the same decision she did. Farewell my master!" I saluted Larry, and after hearing him swear at me, I dove into the water.

**-x-**

**BPOV**

When the boat flipped, the water shocked me, but my mind was cautious enough to remember the space under the flipped canoe- and that's where I popped up under.

_Jaysus…_

The space beneath the flipped canoe was enough to fit my head, and it wasn't entirely claustrophobic.

I decided to stay there for awhile. Just enough time for camp workers to freak, and think they killed a resident. Only then would I pop up like being under water for ten minutes was natural.

I sighed, and noticed my breathing was getting heavier from treading water. Maybe this wasn't a good idea…

But after a couple more minutes of the same shit, something brushed up against my feet, and I yelped.

"AHHH! WHAT THE FUCK?" I screamed, trying to scrunch up without going under the water.

But my girly cries ended when Jacob splashed up in front of me, and started mocking my screeching.

"AHHHH! WHAT'S WRONG?" he yelped in a girl screech, and I splashed him.

"You scared the shit our of me!" I laughed, spitting out water that he was splashing back at me. "Okay, stop!"

He grinned and did finally stop splashing me. "So, what's new?" he smiled, looking around the space under the canoe.

"Oh, just flipping people off…" I laughed, and he did too.

**-x-**

**EPOV**

I cringed when I heard her scream, but I went completely frozen when I heard her dying of laughter.

_Laughing at being nearly scared to death…_

"No one move from their boats!" Larry yelled, "No more foolishness!"

I wasn't going to be jumping in…I wasn't a child- like Bella and Jacob. They were laughing and splashing each other under that canoe, and carrying on like ten-year-olds.

Jacob was right…she did prefer to have fun…

Before I could even think about diving in after Bella, and ripping her away from Jacob, they both resurfaced- and of course they had to be grinning.

"Get yourself back into your boat now!" Larry yelled.

"I don't think that's going to be happening," Bella tried to climb up onto her boat, but it only sake down, and then Jake tried to get onto it, and the water completely engulfed it.

"Well, your father's paying for a replacement of that boat. And until then, you'll have to share with another group." He turned his boat around, and headed back to the front of the group.

I was relieved because he didn't seem too angry. But then again, that was Larry…you never know with him…

"Come in my boat man!" Jacob grabbed Bella by the top of her arm, and dragged her towards our canoe, "It will be stellar!"

I groaned in my head. Not because Bella was sharing with us, but because Jacob would corrupt her even more.

"Give me a hand," Jacob offered me his hand, and for some reason, I helped pull his body into the canoe- which nearly tipped. Water splashed off Jacob, and I was nearly soaked from him laying on top of me.

"Get off." I said simply, which he gladly did, and turned to help Bella.

I shoved him aside, and offered her my hand instead of his.

She frowned weirdly, but took it, and I easily pulled her up into the boat, and was careful not to tug her body across the canoe ledge.

"You can let go of me," she said under her breath, and I dropped her hand.

Jake raised an eyebrow at me, and I shook my head at him as Bella took a seat on the center bench.

"Was I right, or was I right?" he whispered to me as he crossed the canoe, and got back to his seat at the front.

I sighed, and that sigh alone said it all.

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A/N: Happy belated Easter. Oh and my 'o' key is doing well. I vacumed a lays potatoe chip out of it, so it's all good.


	29. Teams

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay. I have discovered TWITTER! Follow me, my user name is greenandnavy or look up Dani Navy.

**Refresher:** Bella screws around, flips her canoe, and messes with Larry a bit. Jacob tells Edward he needs to start chilling out because Bella likes having fun rather than being serious.

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Chapter 29: Teams

**Bella's POV**

It's the afternoon. The _worst_ and _longest_ part of the day.

We've been paddling for an hour and a half- well not me- and Larry still hasn't been able to pin point the next location.

I feel like we're going in circles, and I'm getting restless. And when I get restless, I start acting childish, and start bugging people.

I flicked Jacobs's ear, and giggled.

"Hey quit it!" he yelped playfully, swatting like a little boy.

I smacked him in the back. "Gotcha."

He smacked me in the leg before I could move it, "Gotcha back."

I leaned forward when he moved back to try and avoid my smack, but I got him on the knee. "Got you last, I'm not playing!"

"No, can't do that, no quitsies, now I win!" he gloated, flexing his muscles in the air.

I whined like I cared, and we both began to laugh when Karen and Brooke from the other canoe were staring at us, unsure what to say- sorta like Edward.

"Hey bitches!" I reached across to splash the canoe that was right beside us, "How's it going? You three look like a pile of ass." I laughed when Karen tried to grab my canoe and tip it, but Jacob and Edward were too quick of paddlers to let that happen.

"Swan, are you and your mates in for a little game of truth or dare…minus the truth?" Karen asked, eyeing me with a grin on her lips.

"Maybe…" I turned to look at Edward, who stared at my face with a questioning look. "You in too? I know Jacob is."

"What's truth or dare?" he said.

All of us laughed.

"God, okay, you're in," I turned to Karen, "We're in, we choose dare, what do you got for us?"

She grinned, and whispered with Tracy and Brooke, who both nodded. "We dare you guys to paddle up to the front, and ask Larry if he has a brother, and if he says yes, ask if he's single."

Jacob and I laughed, and Edward completely shot down the idea.

"No way in hell-"

"It's on! Follow us up there," I grinned, pointing towards Larry's canoe about fifteen meters ahead of ours. "Mush boys!"

Edward sighed, but he did paddle along, just to please me I bet…but I wasn't impressed. His serious attitude was a major turnoff for me. So I ignored him.

"Who wants to ask Larry the question?" Jacob asked, turning around to look at me

"How about you do it," I looked at Larry's boat, which was only a couple of meters in front of us, "Come on! You're such a chicken!"

"No way, that's lame for me to do it! You're the chick here," he looked franticly over at Larry, who was staring at us with a perplexed look on his face, "Hurry Bella, do it!"

Just as we were pulling up beside Larry, I was about to give in and fucking say it- until Edward grew some balls.

"Hey Larry, do you have a brother?" Edward asked in a firm voice.

My jaw dropped, and I snapped my head around to see Edward keeping a stern looking face, completely focused on Larry's confused one.

"Umm, yes I do. Why do you want to know?" Larry asked, cutting his eyes at all three of us. Guy just kept paddling, and pretended not to be interested.

"Oh no reason, just wondering if he's single." Edward shrugged, and then he dipped his paddle into the water really hard, and pushed our boat quickly ahead of theirs.

I died.

"I'm not sure what you mean…" Larry said, looking back at Guy for an answer. But Guy kept his head straight, and didn't acknowledge that he heard anything- but from the smirk on his face…well...he knew what was up.

"Nothing, he's just being lame," I said quickly when we passed their canoe, and came up quickly on another camp workers canoe.

Edward and Jake finally slowed down the pace, and that's when we all laughed- and I do mean _all _of us were laughing.

Did that just happen? Did Edward actually loosen up, and take the stick out of his ass?

I turned to face him, and he was grinning.

**EPOV**

From the look on Bella's face, I could tell she was impressed. And just to have her smiling had my heart racing- not literally of course.

"Did you like that Bella?" I asked coolly, still paddling, and not holding back a grin.

She shook her head in disbelief, and rolled her eyes. "I can't figure you out right now. Who are you? Where's lame ass Edward?"

I shrugged, but I didn't have to answer her because Jacob covered it for me.

"Oh he's still lame, don't worry. He'll probably go apologize to Larry when we're not looking." He laughed, and then Bella joined in.

_There goes my thunder…_

Bella just gave me a look, and then turned back around.

I thought about what I had just done. I just disrespected an adult- whether he knew it or not- and it wasn't entirely that bad. It felt good. I felt different, like a new person for two seconds.

I sighed, and looked off into the distance at a cove, where Larry was silently planning on setting up camp.

But I didn't care that I had to endure another night in the wilderness with a bunch of people I didn't like. Because I finally figured out why Bella acts the way she does…and honestly, I can't blame her.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

My back hurt from all the paddling, and then all the hiking to find a perfect location to set up camp made it fucking worse. I wanted to kill Larry- no I wanted to kill myself!

"Oh my god, I think my legs are going to fall off," Brooke whined beside me, who was just as wilted looking as me.

"He said only one more hour, and then we'll be there," I told her to lift her spirits. But since when did an hour of hiking lighten anyone's load off their back…

"That's forever," Logan yawned, tightening the straps of her hiking bag. "I just want to die."

_Who would have thought we had something in common…_

"Okay everyone, this is where we stop," Larry turned around and faced us, "We'll take a quick break, and then I'll be separating you into groups."

Separating into groups? Why?

"Why?" Logan snapped, cutting her eyes around the groups of clicks that had already formed.

"We're going to continue our hike to the camp in smaller groups, and whichever group gets their first- wins." Rick grinned, trying to motivate us, but failing.

"Oh great…" I sighed, closing my eyes.

If hiking through the woods wasn't already worse enough, I got to do it trapped with a smaller, more unfamiliar group.

_Fuck my life…_

"But don't worry, you'll be with your cabin crew still…" Guy gave Larry a look to make sure they were still on the same page, "Right Larry?"

My spirits slightly lifted.

Larry sighed and rolled his eyes. "I guess that would be better…"

I looked over at the other girls, and we all grinned at each other. For once, I finally figured out my place, and it was with this group of misfit girls.

**Bella's POV**

"You're going to have to come up with team names," Rick yelled over us, "And make it quick, because we need to get started."

I huddled the girls over towards me, and we started throwing out possible team names.

"How about Team Tits?" Karen laughed, "Oh never mind," she eyed my chest and rolled her eyes, "That wouldn't make sense in Bella's case…"

I punched her in the arm. "No, and we need it to be more original than that and a lot cooler…"

"Team Skirts?"

"Team Gorgeous?"

"No…." I sighed, "It has to be something more awesome…"

Something clicked in my head.

"Like…TEAM AWESOME!" I laughed.

"No, that's lame…" Brooke said, rolling her eyes. "But…I guess…"

"Exactly, it's lame enough for us." Karen agreed, high fiving me. "Good going Swan."

I grinned to myself. _Good going Swan is right._

"Girls, what's your team name?" Larry asked, standing in front of us with his arms crossed.

"Team Awesome," I said, watching him frown.

"How…original." He said sarcastically, "Well, go say goodbye to Team Rainbow," He nodded at Jake and Edwards group, and I rolled my eyes.

Their name wasn't as cool as ours…

I walked over to Jake and Edward, who were chatting while the camp workers were getting things straightened out.

"Team Rainbow?" I asked, "Not as awesome as Team Awesome."

"Psst, Team Awesome? More like Team…Not Awesome…"

Edward actually laughed at his lameness, and I gave him a look that said "shut the hell up".

He stopped, and just smirked at me.

"Well boys, Team Awesome is definitely beating your asses to the campsite," I bragged, shoving Jacob in the chest.

He swore, and shoved me back, "Oh yeah? I bet we'll beat you, bitch!"

Edward gave him an unsure look.

"Is that a bet, rainbow boy?" I asked.

"Sure is. Winning team gets to make the losing team do whatever they want- one time only." He smirked, offering me his hand.

I grinned and shook it. "Psst, hope you boys enjoy embarrassment."

"Oh girl," he said in a girly voice, "You're preaching to the wrong crowd." He nodded over towards my crew, but I ignored him.

"See you at the finish line," I looked at Edward and he nodded.

"Behind us," Edward said lowly.

I turned my back to him, and tried to hold up my jaw.

Edward was slowly and surely turning into Jacob, and I was slowly but surely falling for him all over again.

_Fuck._

**-x-**

"Follow your leader, keep up, and for the love of god…" Larry stopped and stared at me, "don't do anything stupid."

I grinned at him, and he pretended he didn't see it.

"Girls, you're with Bob and Rick. The boys are coming with me and Guy." Larry walked over to stand in front of the laughing boys, "Quit it. No foolishness on my time. We're not coming last."

I laughed in my head. _So you think…_

**Logan's POV**

Bella filled us girls in on the bet, and I sure as hell wasn't coming in last.

"Come on, let's go!" I yelled at Rick and Bob, "Start leading."

They took their spots at the head of Team Awesome, and they led us away from the boys, who were already headed in a different direction than us.

"Bella, thank God we don't have Larry eh?" I asked her.

"I know, it's so much easier to get away with shit this way."

"Get away with shit?" I gave her a confused look.

"Yeah, did you think we were done with the hell-raising?" she gave me a sly grin.

"Sorta…yeah?"

"Nope. How pissed off would your mom be if she got a call from this camp, saying they can't find their daughter?"

My eyes bulged. "Are you being serious right now!"

"Fuck yeah. We ditch the dudes, and scare the fuck out of everyone. What do you say girls?" She looked over to the rest of our group, and they looked just as shocked as me.

"Ummm….sounds kind of crazy…I don't really want to die in a forest," Brooke whispered so that the leaders couldn't hear.

"Shut up. You're not going to die. We're just going to camp out on our own." She grinned.

But no one was grinning.

"I'm not doing it," whispered Tracy from behind us.

I was shocked to even hear her voice an opinion, but I didn't hold it against her because I was on the same page as her.

"I'm with Tracy, for once…" I admitted, "There are other things we can do. Getting lost just isn't fun. And that's actually just stupid."

"Okay, jeez you wimps. Forget I even mentioned it…." She shoved past us, and walked up closer to the camp workers.

_Cranky bitch. _

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I actually wanted to win the bet because I wanted to see the looks on the girl's faces when they found out they lost.

God, who am I?

I'm actually finding myself laughing with these childish boys, especially Jacob. He's such an annoying, lame, little kid that I can't help but laugh at him when he does stupid things- like tripping over the log that's right in front of him.

"Owwww!" Jacob yelped, falling onto the mossy forest floor. "I totally scraped my shin, and it's burning!"

I yanked at his arm and helped him up. "Is the baby okay?" I lowered my bottom lip at him.

"Fucking jackass," he shoved me hard, "You know, you're getting pretty ballsie lately, and it's pissing me off. Go back to not talking, please."

"Awww, did Edward hurt Jacob's feelings?" Landon mocked the lowering of the lower lip, and Jacob shoved him as well.

"You guys are assholes, I don't even like you. Jack is my only real friend in this place," he lied.

"Psst, you wish, muffin." Jack said, giving him a dirty look.

"You boys are jerks. I wish my girlfriend was hiking with me right now…" he moaned.

I laughed. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, my girlfriend. You know…Bella?"

I looked into his eyes, and I knew he was just trying to piss me off. And for some reason, I was letting him get to me.

"Okay, girlfriends are off limits." Landon said, which I agreed on. "But Bella isn't your girlfriend though…so…."

I knew I never really liked Landon.

"True that!" Jacob laughed, "And she and I are hooking up-"

"Jacob. Stop." I said in a serious tone.

"Boys, stop the bickering back there. You sound like a bunch of girls," Larry yelled from in front of the line.

"Psst, I wish girls were here. Well not just any girl…" Jacob started thinking about Bella.

I shoved his back, and he slammed forward into Jack. "Seriously, quit it."

"Okay, Edward. Get over yourself," he didn't mention anything more about Bella, and honestly, I didn't even want to talk about her, let alone think about what she was up to right now.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

All of us were really pissed off at each other, and our communication was completely cut off. It had been an hour since our little scuffle, and the awkward silence was still just as awkward.

_So much for Team Awesome…_

The sweat dripped down my back, and I could feel it piling up on the back of my bare legs. It felt sticky, and slimy, and all I wanted to do was jump into a lake, and not come up for air.

The rest of the girls were probably having a tough time to. They were all behind me now, and I couldn't care less about those bitches at the moment.

It's funny what the extreme heat, and being in a rough environment can do to your mood. I feel like I could turn on anyone…

**-x-**

_**Twenty minutes later…**_

We finally came through a small clearing, and I was relieved when Bob and Rick set down their belongings. But my relief ended there, because we weren't the first one's there.

"About time ladies," Larry said, standing up from a fire he had started to make. It seemed a bit too bright out to be starting the fire already…

"Yeah well, we made it. So fuck it." Logan moaned, toppling over onto the ground, and covering her face with her hands.

The boys laughed.

"Everyone make it all right, no problems I'm sure?" Larry asked, crossing his arms.

I nodded, and took off my bag that had been digging into my shoulder blades. I instantly felt like I could float the moment it hit the ground.

"Yup, it was a smooth hike. Right Team Awesome?" Bob asked lamely.

No one answered him.

Brooke was standing beside me, huffing and puffing. Logan looked dead on the ground, and Bella-

"Ummm…are you guy's short a person?" Jack asked, eyeing us.

My head snapped around in search for the body I suddenly knew was missing.

"Oh fuck off! Where the fuck is she!" Larry yelled, pushing through the boys and coming face to face with me…of all people. "Where the fuck is Bella!"

_Good question…_

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A/N: Yup, so that was it. I hope you like it. And I'm going to try to update quicker…but who knows. Are you guys stoked about Bella disappearing or what? Hahah. I AM!

**-x-**


	30. Daft Punk

**A/N: Pretty quick update if I do say so myself…haha.**

**Refresher: **Bella went missing.

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Chapter 30: Daft Punk

**Alice's POV**

I was lying on our roof, hanging out with the stars and the darkness, and for some reason, I started making a list about why life had started sucking.

For starters, my relationship was straining with my family. I had been acting like a bitch for a few months now, and everyone has been avoiding me since I've been avoiding them. Especially Rosalie, who still hasn't forgiven me for smashing up her car…but then again, I haven't exactly given a _sincere_ apology.

At school, when we're not acting like a bunch of stupid humans, we were listening to the stupid humans talk about Bella, because apparently, she's 'the shit' now.

Why does making bad decisions automatically give you some sort of superior status?

I sighed, and crossed my leg onto my knee, and just stared into the empty space that is now my life.

But at that moment, a new vision came.

I snapped my head up, and watched the images unfold behind my eyes. And I was surprised that it was of Bella. Her future had finally returned to me.

_She was confronting a girl in the woods. They were alone, and they were arguing. And then they physically start to fight, and both girls are on the ground._

I opened my eyes when the vision was over, and I swore.

"What was that about?" Jasper asked behind me, coming through the open window.

I didn't turn to look at him, but I felt him sit beside me, and his arm slid over my shoulder.

"I just had a vision with Bella. It's been awhile since I've been able to see her," I told him.

He nodded. "Well, that's good right?"

I sighed. "Not exactly," I pulled away from him, and stood up, "Bella is still being an idiot."

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

We made it to the clearing first, and all of us were very excited.

"Oh my god, what are we going to make the girls do?" Jacob jumped up and down in excitement, and I was grinning from the plans he had flowing in his mind.

"Boys, let's get set up. Someone go get firewood, and the rest of you set down your things and get organized." Larry ordered.

But no one really listened to him. We were too happy about actually winning in something, and making the girls a bunch of losers.

Guy sighed. He could tell we were too happy in our states of minds, and he decided to get the firewood himself.

"Edward, any ideas for the girls?" Landon asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

But I didn't have a chance to answer him, because just as I was opening my mouth to answer him, a few girls came stumbling through the clearing.

"About time ladies," Larry said, standing up from his attempt to start a fire with a few twigs.

"Yeah well, we made it. So fuck it." Logan moaned.

We all laughed at the sight of Logan, and we especially started laughing when she collapsed on the ground.

"Oh my god, this hike is a lot more fun than I thought," Jacob whispered to me, and I nodded in agreement.

It was true. These boys were a lot of fun. I had forgotten what it was like to act like a human, instead of a vampire. I had been depressed for so long, and feeling happy was such a high.

Larry was off, asking the girls questions while we planned what we were going to make them do. I had to ignore some of Jacob's ideas, because his were a little too inappropriate. I even suggested a few, like making them carry our bags, or making them set up camp.

"Those are lame. We need to embarrass them." Jacob said, huddling us closer.

I didn't really agree with that. That didn't seem right, but I nodded anyway. I wasn't the only one who seemed not too interested in the planning of the girl's fate. Jack was off in la la land, staring at the girls.

He was thinking really hard about something, counting, and re-counting the girls, naming their names off in his head. And then I started to become slightly aware of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it as I listened to him argue with himself on whether to say something-

"Ummm…are you guys short a person?" Jack finally asked, eyeing the girls.

My stomach sank when I realized what I was missing. But I couldn't bring myself to turn around and face the girls, and admit that I had let myself forget about the only girl I needed to keep track of.

_Bella._

"Oh fuck off! Where the fuck is she!" Larry screamed, pushing through us.

I finally turned around, and sure enough, Bella wasn't anywhere to be seen. My eyes widened when I realized what I had done.

How could I be so stupid…?

"Where the fuck is Bella?" Larry yelled at Tracy.

But she had no clue. No one knew where she was.

I covered my face and held back a growl.

_This is what you get Edward, for acting like an asshole._

"Dude, you okay?" Jacob asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

I removed my hands from my face, and reminded myself that killing Jacob right now wouldn't solve anything.

"Wow, your eyes are so dark…that's really cool…" he said, but he inched away from me when my glare intensified.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked. Did he really need to ask that?

"If it wasn't for you, and your stupid advice, Bella wouldn't be lost in the woods right now." I said, inching forward so that our chests were barely touching.

He actually laughed in my face. "You think her running off is my fault? Oh Edward, Bella doing stupid shit is only ever her own fault. You of all people should know that by now."

I shoved him out of my face, and it didn't go unnoticed by the camp workers and the rest of the residents.

"This is what happens when I let my guard down. Bella goes missing. Thank you, Jacob." I said sarcastically.

Guy came in between us, and told us to separate now. But Jacob had to get the last word in.

"She's always been like this. You wouldn't know because you ditched her-"

I didn't let him finish because I couldn't hold myself back any longer.

My body smashed into his, and we were both on the ground in a second. I got a punch in, and he actually managed to get one on me.

Guy and Larry tried to yank me off Jacob, but they had nothing on me. I was so angry at myself for literally losing Bella, that I was…taking it out on Jacob?

I let go of his shirt, and jumped off of him.

"You're insane," he wiped the blood off of his lip, and shook his head at me. "We're done, dude. You're crazy."

I stared at him, and let Guy pull me away from him, and to the opposite side of the clearing. And as I watched the distance put in between Jacob and I, I couldn't help think about how much distance was put in between Bella and myself at this very moment.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I walked through the woods, all alone, and laughed to myself at how easy it was to get away. Everyone was so pissed off at each other, and the camp workers were too caught up in their own tiredness, that no one even noticed my disappearance.

I wonder how long it will take them. Actually, I bet they still don't even know. It's been about an hour and a half, and I bet everyone is at the campsite, setting up their area, completely oblivious to my absence.

But then there's Edward…he probably would notice. Well not probably, more like definitely…

The sun had finally passed over my head, and it was slowly making it's way down the opposite side of the sky. In about an hour or two, it would be darkness, and hopefully, I wouldn't regret running off.

The path I had been walking on ended, and I had to track through branches that were scraping my body, and climb over logs that if I wasn't careful, could do some damage to my ankles.

But it wasn't the logs or the branches that were my biggest fear at the moment. It was the tall girl, with short boyish hair, leaning on a tree about ten feet away.

I had to pull the hair out of my eyes to make sure I was seeing right, and sure enough, when I looked again, she had disappeared.

"What the fuck?…" I whispered. I squinted towards the tree that I knew I had just seen a figure standing at. I was beginning to get scared, so I backed away from the area. But when I turned, I smacked into the figure I was hoping didn't exist.

"What the fuck is right…" she said, looking down into my eyes.

"Hatcher. What the-"

"What the fuck am I doing here? Hmmm, let's see…" she shoved past me, and walked behind me. I turned quickly to face her. "Do you know how long I've been at this camp, Bella?"

I nodded. "Awhile."

"Psst, more than awhile… _forever_…or at least it seems that way." She whispered.

I cringed when she started to circle me, but I made sure to always face her, and never have my back to her.

"I've seen my share of little camp residents who act like little show offs- like you- and I've also had my share of those camp residents, screwing me over- like you- but I've never had any camp residents who were stupid enough to travel alone after doing so."

I gulped. "You don't intimidate me," I lied to her. My voice shook uncontrollably, and I swore in my head for the adrenaline to kick in so I wouldn't be afraid. But it wasn't kicking in, and I was deathly afraid.

"Yeah, you sound it," she laughed.

"Why do you think I screwed you over? I didn't! I was preoccupied the night I was supposed to meet you guys. Is that such a crime?" my voice was beginning to sound more firm, and this pleased me.

"If that were it, you'd be fine. But that's not it. You told someone about us." She hissed, stepping forward, "And then we got caught, because of your loose lips…" she stepped forward again, and I stepped off to the side, angling my body so that I was ready for a physical confrontation.

"I didn't, I swear!" I lied. But she didn't believe me, and she punched me in the face.

I felt the skin rip, and my eyes went blotchy, but I didn't topple over like my body was telling me to. Instead, I formed my hand into a fist, and threw it towards Hatcher's head, and smashed her cheek bone.

We both yelled from the pain- her face was hurt, and my hand was hurt- but we didn't give up. She yanked on my shirt, tearing the arm of it, and scratching her nails down the length of my arm. It stung, but I was too busy trying to yank out her hair- which was proving difficult because there was barely any at all.

Eventually, we were both on the ground, and somehow, she had gotten an advantage, and held me to the ground, and smashed me in the cheekbone.

My body stung like open wounds were completely covering me, and I couldn't find it in myself to even bother fighting back anymore. She was obviously bigger and stronger, and I just wanted it to hurry up and end- which was only going to happen if she had the final blow, which she did.

She stood up and looked down at me, and when our eyes met, she drove her foot into my rib cage, and I flipped over onto my other side.

I closed my eyes and waited for something more terrible to happen. But the worst was over, and all I heard was her footsteps headed in the direction I had come from.

_Note to self: don't go that way…_

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

The campsite was in chaos, to put it mildly. Larry was barking orders, trying to keep the remaining residents tightly together, Rick was off to the side, whispering with Bob, and Guy was the only logical one, already flipping out a cell phone and informing the camp of our slight situation.

Guy closed the cell phone and sighed.

"Now I told you not to call, but what do you do? You call anyway…" Larry yelled at Guy, kicking the ground and starting to walk in circles. It was interesting watching Larry lose it. He panicked easily, and didn't mind losing his cool in front of a bunch of kids that he was supposed to be a good influence on.

"You know the rules. You may not follow them, but I do. Anytime a resident gets lost, we have to inform someone so that we can get him or her help," Guy told him logically.

Larry was amused by this. "She's not lost. She's trying to get us in trouble. Bella is perfectly fine. She'll show up sooner or later-"

"Oh yeah? Just like last time? Has your memory gone on you? I believe that wasn't the case when Jenny was lost-"

"ENOUGH!" he yelled, turning to glare at him.

The entire camp site went quiet.

Guy adjusted his shirt, and then ordered us to get our sleeping bags out, and place them around the fire because the sun was going down. Larry turned, went to talk to Rick, and then left the campsite.

No one cared where Larry was going, because everyone's minds were probably on one thing only; who the fuck was Jenny? And more importantly, what the fuck happened to her?

**Edward's POV**

I just sat and stared at the fire. The flames danced around and around, just like the camp workers who had every eye on us now- and it wasn't even dark out yet. I would have to be incredibly sneaky if I wanted to slip out of here unnoticed.

As for Jacob, he was just as silent as me- but his mind was racing. He felt bad for taking Bella's disappearance too lightly, and now, he was _finally_ beginning to get worried.

_Good._

All that was left for me to do was wait for the sun to go down, and then I could go and find the only person on this earth I cared about.

But for now, I was staying put.

**Bella's POV**

The sun was behind the trees when I finally gained some balls and removed myself from the ground.

How Hatcher had ditched her group, and some how found me was still scary to think about.

I was still frightened from what had happened, and my face ached from where she had hit me in several places. It would be interesting explaining to the camp workers how those scrapes and bruises got on me- if I ever got the chance…

I leaned my head back and looked up at the tall trees surrounding me, and that's when an idea struck me.

I was scared Hatcher would come looking for me again, and if she did, she definitely wouldn't be looking in the trees.

**-x-**

It took a couple trees to find the tallest and most perfect one to climb, but after ten minutes, I was already a quarter of the way up a tree, and still had what seemed like miles to go.

"Come on you fucker…get climbing," I told myself, "Do you want Hatcher to eat you?"

I grinned to myself at how lame I was, but I continued climbing the _very_ tall tree. It was insanely tall, which is…taller than anything I've ever seen. It was actually beginning to get difficult to even reach the branches, and I had to stop half way up.

"Damn," I sighed, standing on one branch, and holding onto the branch over my head.

I had the perfect view over other trees, and I could see the edge of the lake from in behind the trees, just where the sun was setting. It looked great, and I was happy that I chose to watch the sunset from such a dangerous height.

Now I just needed to stay up here until I figured out how I was getting down…_oh well_…I didn't have anywhere to be anyway.

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

It was now twilight, and the fire, the full moon, and the stars were the only things lighting us up in our sleeping bags.

The camp workers were now in their sleeping bags like us, lying around the fire, but that didn't mean their eyes were closed.

Nope, they were wide awake like me, probably worried about where the fuck Bella was, and if she had gotten herself into even more trouble.

I looked over at Edward, who was "sleeping" in his sleeping bag, with the bag completely covering his head. He was probably having a miserable time, and not too happy about letting Bella disappear.

Bella was Bella, and he didn't need to blame himself for her acting like an idiot. It was stupid of her to run off now, and it was especially stupid to be alone out in the dark.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I timed my slipping out of the campsite perfectly. When the camp workers slipped into their own sleeping bags, I quickly slipped myself out. Of course, a hiking bag needed to take my place, but that wasn't too difficult, and I managed fine.

It was twilight, and the sky was beginning to get darker and darker. I needed to find Bella, or at least her scent, before she ended up getting eaten by an animal, or worse, Larry finding her.

I tracked back our steps to where the groups separated, and I found her scent easily. Now I needed to just follow it, and pray Bella was at the end of it- _alive_.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

"Harder…better…faster…STRONGER!" I yelled into the sky, that was slowly darkening a bit more. I was getting bored, and somehow, Daft Punk lyrics were the only thing keeping me company. "Nah neh NAH! Nah neh NAH!" Man, I don't even like Daft Punk. More like Daft PUKE.

I wish I had an iPod right now. But no, it was back home, rotting like the rest of my belongings. At least it didn't have Landon's iPod's fate.

The stars were already out, and for some reason, I felt like I needed to start counting them. I leaned around the branch, and counted, but after getting to 4, it got lame.

I sighed, and tilted my head back to look at the rest of the way up the tree. And suddenly, the rest of the way didn't seem so hard.

"Psst, it's cake…" I tightened my hold on the branch above me, and tested a bit of my weight on it by dangling my feet, and having my hand strength as the only thing to save me from falling. "Hmm…"

I stepped back onto the branch, and decided to go for it. If I dangled, and built up some momentum, I could swing my body around the branch, like in gymnastics when they do it, and get that much higher up the tree.

I decided to go for it.

I dangled my feet off the branch, took in a breath, and started swaying my body. As I swayed, the branch moaned and creaked, but I had faith in it. It wasn't going to break. God wasn't going to kill me when no one was watching.

I counted down in my head when I would make the final sway, and try and swing my legs up and over the branch. "1….2….3!" I swung hard, and just as I was about to make it full circle around, instead of the damn branch breaking, my fucking grip went.

I actually threw myself out of a tree. Maybe god does have a sense of humour…

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A/N: About a while back, I put a picture on my profile of Camp Archstone that a fan (Larynn) made. It's pretty badass. It's just what I would use as the cover of this fanfic. CHECK IT OUT!

**-x-**


	31. Testing

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews for the last two chapters. I didn't really have time to respond to all of them like I normally do, but I DID read all of them, and I appreciate the feedback.

**Refresher: **Bella wanders off from her group, and at the same time Hatcher wanders away from hers. Of course, they collide in the woods, and Bella is left on the ground. Bella then decides to take cover in the trees, partly because she is scared, but mostly for the fun of it. Only climbing half way up the tree isn't good enough, so she decides to try for the higher branches, which causes her to chuck herself off the tree.

What will happen next?

Guess what? You're about to find out. OOOHHHhhhh….

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Chapter 31: Testing…Testing…1, 2, 3.

**Bella's POV**

I felt like a bloody idiot the moment my grip lost, and I knew I had to do something. And as I fell a few feet, I did the only thing I knew how to; I closed my eyes, and grabbed onto anything.

To my surprise, my grip came into contact with a branch just below me- thank fucking God…

"Oh my god, oh my god!" I said to myself, "Holy shit, holy shit!"

Only my frail fingers were holding onto my entire body weight, and I dangled anxiously from what seemed like miles above the ground.

_Hi god. It's me, Bella. Umm…I haven't really chatted with you in awhile…well…longer than that…but that doesn't matter. I'm just wondering if you could maybe give me the strength to pull myself up. _

I waited for him to answer.

_Come on God, I swear I will do something helpful for you. I mean, I'll change a life- no, I'll change MY life. I just don't want to die….woah…I don't want to die? Yes. No. Wait, __yeah__…__god__, I don't know what I'm saying. Just help!_

I waited for an answer, a little bit more impatiently, and the answer to my prayers came in the form of a bronze haired vampire, out on a twilight stroll.

_Hilarious God. Just hilarious._

**Edward's POV**

I found her scent, followed it at vampire speed, and it took what seemed like only two seconds to find her already in trouble- well just about, if I didn't intervene.

I watched Bella dangling from a tree, high enough to do some damage if she fell. She was struggling to hold on, and judging by the tension on her face, she looked like she was about ready to drop.

Instead of barging out of my hiding spot, and intervening right away, I decided to play with her a bit, and just casually walk out.

She stared down at me, and tried to wipe the struggle off her face. But her discouragement and frustration was so evident, and it wasn't helping her grip the branch any better.

"Kind of serves you right, don't you think?"

**Bella's POV**

I gave him a dirty look, in between a creased brow line, and the pain shooting out of my face.

"You know what I mean…" he tucked his hands into his cargo shorts, and walked a bit closer to where I was about to fucking die. "Why'd you run off?"

He looked up at me with a plain, innocent face, and when I didn't answer right away, he pulled a hand out of his pocket, and pretended to be interested in his nails all the sudden.

"Cause it's me! What do you expect!" I panicked, my grip was slowly loosening.

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow line. "Hmm…that doesn't really answer my-"

"I'm falling! I can't hold on much longer!" I closed my eyes, and focused all my strength into my hands, but the pain through my hands and shoulders was too great, and I was ready to give up.

"I know…but I want to honour your wishes…wouldn't you rather the hero wait too long in the shadows? It's much more exciting that way for you…." He gave me a sly look, and that's when I decided I was willing to test his theories, and risk it all.

I let go.

**Edward's POV**

Bella called my bluff, and let her body drop from the branches…and I obviously saved her from a painful death.

I sprang into the air the moment her fingers left the branch, and I felt her release a breath when my body collided with hers. I pushed her back up against the trunk of the tree, and held her safely on a branch just below the one she had been dangling from.

"You okay?" I asked, leaning over her. I didn't want to let her go for a moment, in case she toppled over.

"I called your bluff…." She pulled her head out from under my chin, and grinned up at me.

"I could still let you drop…." I backed away from her a bit, but she didn't look like she really cared. "Or not…" I grinned, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Well…I guess you deserve an apology…" she sighed.

I was confused. An apology for what?

"I know you like being the hero, and that's who you are. There's nothing wrong with wanting to help people, and I made it seem like it was a terrible thing…" she tilted her head back so that it was leaning on the trunk of the tree, "You know who you are, and I don't…I just wanted to make you feel bad about that."

I didn't know what to say. Since when did she admit she was wrong…and be sincere about it?

"Bella," I grabbed around her waist, and leaned in close to her face. I took a breath in, and her floral scent was mixed with a sap smell- but I liked it on her. "I think you're an idiot sometimes-"

She burst out laughing before I could finish.

"No, just listen," I reached up to her chin, and pointed her face so that she had to stare into my eyes. "You're an idiot, but I think I love that about you."

She grinned, but before I could say anything more, she leaned forward and crushed her lips onto mine.

I shoved her hard against the tree bough, and tugged on the bottom of her shirt, just like she was doing to me, but when she suddenly lost her footing, I had to break my lips free from hers, and save her from killing herself.

"Jesus Bella, can't you stay in one place…" I breathed in her ear, wrapping my arms around her, and tightening my hold on her waist.

"I know, it's just I've never been this high up in a tree before. I'm not used to this altitude," she laughed.

I pulled away from her and cocked an eyebrow at her playfully. "You think this is high? I'll show you high," I turned my back to her before she could ask any questions, and pulled her onto my back.

She yelped, but I ignored her. A little dose of fear would be healthy for her. But I wasn't prepared for the scream in my ear after swinging diagonally to the next tree, and then springing up the next tree- all at vampire speed of course.

**Bella's POV**

I dug my nails into his chest when he suddenly took off like a wild animal-or more like a vampire.

I wasn't used to him acting like this. Being careless, and letting me experience the immortal pluses to living the way he does was exhilarating. The adrenaline pumping through me felt scary, especially in the pit of my stomach as he dove from tree to tree, and rose higher and higher with me on his back.

I screamed when he stopped suddenly, and it felt like I was going to tip over his shoulders, and fall a billion feet to the ground.

"It's okay, I got you," he reached around and helped me off his back, which I reluctantly slid off of.

I was too scared to speak, and the height was actually making me feel nervous.

"Are you shaking?" he chuckled, wrapping an arm around my waist, and pulling me tightly to his side while he held onto an overhead branch to keep us in place.

"It's high…" I looked out into the distance, and gasped from the view. I could see the _entire_ lake, and even Camp Archstone from where we were perched. "But I like it." I admitted.

He grinned and pulled me so that my head was underneath his chin.

"I like it too," he said lowly, "I like being here with you."

I knew where this was going, and I wasn't entirely comfortable with the conversation taking the 'let's be together' route. Instead, I needed to take it somewhere where I knew he would be distracted.

"Do you think I would be a good vampire?" I asked nonchalantly.

He stopped breathing, but started to tighten his grip on me.

"Jesus Edward, are you trying to strangle me!"

He loosened up a bit, but wouldn't look me in the eye as I stared at his rigid jaw line. "I don't know why you're asking that."

"I don't know either. I just think about it sometimes. You say I act dangerous, but imagine if I were a vampire, and I wouldn't really have to worry about getting hurt-"

"Don't be ridiculous," he grabbed me around the waist, and suddenly, we were flying through the air and we were back on the ground in two seconds. "You don't know what it's like being this," he looked himself up and down, and glared at me finally.

"No I don't. I didn't say I did. I'm just saying-"

"Well don't."

_Touchy…_

**-x-**

I avoided any topic that had to do with Edward and I, and instead, just talked about how the hell I was going to stroll back into our campsite.

"I can't just pop up there, can I?" I asked Edward, stepping over a log on the path, and watching him easily jump it. I sighed at his vampire abilities…

"Not exactly, but I can't have you out here all night." He grabbed onto my arm when I tripped on my own feet in the dark. "Sorry, I didn't want you to fall-"

"It's okay," I pulled out of his grip, but grabbed his hand instead. "I can't see two feet in front of me, to be honest."

His hand slithered over my stomach. "I could carry you…" he whispered.

I shivered from his proximity. "No thanks. I'd rather not feel like a damsel."

He nodded, and the moon lit up a smirk on his face. He continued walking with my hand in his.

"You know, I think I should just stroll in, and say I got lost," I admitted, "Guy would totally have my back on it."

"You use Guy too much. He's not an idiot. He just feels bad for you," he pulled me through the darkness quicker for some reason, maybe wanting me back at camp sooner.

"What's the rush, superman?" I pulled my hand out of his and cocked an eyebrow at him when he snapped around and looked at me anxiously.

But before he could answer me, his eyes snapped away from mine, and focused on the noises behind me.

"What the…" I slowly turned, and ignored Edward's sudden hold around my waist. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

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**Shorter, I know, but I wanted to get this out tonight because I know it might be awhile before my next update. I am quite**

**busy with work. Thanks for reading, btw.**

**-x-**


	32. letsgetthefuckoutofhere

**Refresher: **Bella ran off from her camp residents. Edward came and found her. Then on their way back to the campsite, a ruckus is heard…OOOohh…

**A/N: **Like I had already told you, this chapter was delayed. Just busy, that's all. Actually, that's not all…sort of having writer's block.

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Chapter 32: letsgetthefuckoutofhere

**Bella's POV**

"What the fuck?" I screeched, tripping backwards into Edward's arms.

"Calm down Bella, it's just-"

"A fucking water buffalo!" I tried to rip away from him holding me in place, "Let me go! I don't want to die!" I yelled.

But Edward only held me tighter, and covered my mouth with his hand to smother my screams.

I tried to stand still, and let myself calm down. But a huge furry monster was just feet away. I shut my eyes when it stared into mine, but when I opened them, it was gone.

Edward slowly released me.

"What the fucking hell was that? A dog on steroids?" I screamed, holding the sides of my face, and still shaking.

"It was just-"

"Me." Jacob popped out behind the trees, shirtless, and in bare feet. I stared at him, completely confused.

"What?"

"That was me- in wolf form of course." He said nonchalantly.

"That was a wolf? It looked like a fucking…I don't even know. You're like a werebear more than a werewolf!" I walked forward and started to circle him. "Eww, I just can't believe it, I've never seen anything like it." I held my neck, and gave him a disgusted look.

"Wow, I think you should have left her in the forest Edward…" Jacob stared over into Edwards gaze, and Edward shrugged.

"I wanted to, but I just couldn't do it. Hatcher might come back for her."

_Guess he noticed the face…_

"Well I would rather…I don't know how I'm getting back," I admitted.

Jake threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned.

"Don't worry Bella, I always have a plan."

I looked over at Edward, and he was grinning as well.

"Not bad, dog…" Edward nodded in the direction of the camp. "Let's go."

"Oh, and Bella," Jacob pulled me close to whisper, "Nice face."

I smashed him in the chest and tried ignoring his laughter.

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

"Sssh, shut it!" I covered Bella's mouth, "The campsite is right over there!"

Bella nodded, and I uncovered her mouth. She slapped me in the face.

"What the fuck?" I hissed in the dark.

"Nothing, you just deserved it. You're being an ass today." She hissed back.

Edward chuckled.

"No, it's not being an ass. Your boyfriend was the bigger jerk off today. He was not very pleasant, to say the least…" I crossed my arms, and looked over at Edward, who held up his palms.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Edward whispered back. "You're the one who didn't even care that she was missing!"

"Okay, I don't fucking care! Let's get on with this plan!" Bella whined impatiently.

"Chill princess," I yanked her up into my arms, and grinned at Edward. "Your turn, pretty boy. Get back to your sleeping bag, you're no longer needed."

Edward gave me "a look" that basically said to stick with the plan, and then he slipped into the darkness.

"Okay Bells, start the screaming…" I told her, but she had already begun before I got the last word out of my mouth, and my eardrums were blown to pieces.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

I was jolted awake by deathly screams of pain, mixed with the poor use of English, and a lot of swearing.

Larry was the first to pop out of his sleeping bag, already wearing his boots, and ready to kick someone's ass.

But we were all surprised to see that, no, it wasn't some crazy wild animal. It was just Bella, acting way more insane than usual.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!" Larry roared, stomping across the campsite, and yanking Bella from Jacob's arms.

"OWWWWWWWWW! MY ANKLE!" Bella screamed loudly.

All three of us girls stared at her, and I'm pretty sure we all received the same wink from her right eye.

"I don't give a damn about your leg! What the fuck have you been up to?" Larry yanked Bella over to the campfire, while she hopped on one leg, and grinned at the other residents who stayed cozy warm in their sleeping bags. Bella really was great entertainment…

"I went to the bathroom, and then I lost the group. And then I tripped."

"What a pathetic lie of a story," Larry said, shoving her into the sitting position on a log, and then pacing in front of the fire.

"You can't deny the evidence," Guy said, nodding to her ankle.

"Oh please, it's not even swollen!" Larry yelled.

"Well it hurts, that's all I know…" Bella sighed, crossing her supposedly injured ankle onto her other leg.

"You know what? That's what you get for running off." Larry argued.

"God shouldn't be punishing me with a broken ankle for peeing behind some bushes."

"It is NOT broken." He said back.

"Psst, we'll see about that…" she sad lowly.

I looked over at Logan, who simply rolled her eyes at Bella and fell back down into her sleep. As for Brooke, she wasn't even paying attention anymore- her sleeping bag was back over her head.

Was I the only one who thought Bella was a brave badass, or were these bitches still pissed off at each other to even welcome her back?

Whatever the case, I gave Bella a nod, and she grinned back at me.

_At least she isn't at my throat…_

**-x-**

_**The next morning…**_

**BPOV**

Larry had gotten us up extra early. Like EXTRA EXTRA early. Pretty much when I came back to camp, a few hours later we were back tracking through the woods, and back in our canoes, headed for Camp Archstone.

"This wasn't even that long of a trip. I was expecting more…" I looked off into the distance at the huge mess hall, and began to regret agreeing to come back so soon.

"Well, you're the reason were coming back," Edward admitted, "Larry was too scared you'd make life worse for him, so he cut it short."

I laughed, and so did Jacob.

That was pretty pathetic. I guess I really did get to the man.

_Good._

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I was half relieved when our canoe pulled up onto the dock, but I also knew the ride still wasn't half over- because living at Camp Archstone wasn't any easier than living in the wild for Bella.

"Everyone get back to your cabins. We will be meeting in a couple hours, and you'll need the rest!" Guy yelled over us.

_Oh great…more group work…_

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

"Why can't we just relax for the rest of the day…." Landon whined, turning over onto his stomach.

I had to agree with the dude. It was hot in our cabin, and it was even hotter outside. No one wanted to do shit today.

"You know what Landon? You can suck it." I threw a paper ball at him, and he tossed it back without any interest.

_Damn._ Where did the fun go? Maybe the girl's cabin would be more fun right now…

**BPOV**

"So, what was the point of you pretending to break your ankle?" Karen leaned over her bunk bed, and stared at me lying beside Brooke in her bed.

Yeah, I was feeling too lazy to jump up to my top bunk today…

"No reason. I just needed to get back to camp. Getting beat up by Hatcher made me second guess staying out in the wilderness alone"

"Well I could have told you that. She's one crazy bitch…" Karen jumped down onto the ground, and told Tracy to scoot over so she could take a seat beside her. Of course, Tracy obeyed her…

"No shit. I had my face beaten in. Can't you tell?"

"Not really," Brooke leaned closer to my face, "The mud and shit is kind of covering any bruising." She laughed. I didn't.

"Knock knock," Jacob leaned on our cabin door, with Edward and a couple other boys behind him.

We all gasped.

"Jesus guys! You're not supposed to be on our side of the camp! You're fucked!" Logan laughed, "And who says you can come stand in our doorway. We're not a bunch of prostitutes you can just come calling on."

"You're sick," Jacob gave her a dirty look, and I had to cover my mouth to keeping from laughing.

"What do you guys want?" I slid out of Brooke's bed, and wiped the hair out of my eyes. All four boys just stared and didn't answer me. "You're bored too?"

They nodded. Even Edward did.

"Well, well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" I asked.

They nodded. Except Edward.

"What's the plan, man?" Jacob asked, giving me a look, "Or is your ankle not up for anything drastic?"

The whole cabin burst into laughter.

"Ha ha…" I rolled my eyes, "You're hilarious. And no, it's fine now. I'll manage." I leaned on my bunk bed, and stared at the pathetic souls in front of me.

I could literally see the boredom coming off of them. Their eyes were blank, their stares were blank, and their faces- you got it- blank.

"Boys…" I walked over to stand in front of Jacob, "Ever heard of a little game called 'let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-here'?"

**-x-**

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A/N:

**Okay****. Listen up. This is IMPORTANT.**

**I am leaving it up to a vote. Simply answer this: should I leave this story, and only update maybe a couple times a month, and start a new story, OR, stay with this for now.**

**I am in no way just going to end it like my other stories, but I am willing to put this story on the back burner for now, and not update as often. Let's just say I have a new story idea, and I think it's killer. But it's up to you dudes.**

**Should I just have this story going, or should I have this AND another one? VOTE ON THE POLL ON MY PROFILE!**

**-x-**


	33. Family Tree

**Refresher: **Bella saw Jake as a wolf. After, they leave the camping trip, and get back to Camp Archstone in the early morning, ready for another lazy day at the camp.

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Chapter 33: Family Tree

**Bella's POV**

"_Boys…." I walked over to stand in front of Jacob, "Ever heard of a little game called 'let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-here'?"_

"Stop it Bella. Right now isn't a good time. _Trust me…_" Edward tried to convince me with a look on his face that had my heart beating a tad bitter faster. I had to blink to remember my thoughts.

"I know, I'm kidding…I'm kidding…" I had to repeat myself to try and convince myself that. Because of course I wasn't kidding.

"Another time Bells," Jake pulled me into a side hug, "I'm so tired, and I haven't eaten a decent meal in forever."

"Oh man, food! That sounds like a good idea. Who's in for raiding the mess hall for something to eat? Maybe a little cracker or sip of water will make Bella stop thinking crazy shit." Karen jumped down from her top bunk, but gasped when the cabin got a little too crowed all the sudden.

"So…" Larry sneaked up behind the boys and actually startled us, "You guys are in trouble."

I slowly turned and looked at him.

No one said anything. Not even me. We knew having boys in a girl's cabin was never a good thing.

"Everyone get the fuck out of here," he said lowly.

We obeyed because we didn't feel like being neutered or spayed right then.

"Well at least you guys can scratch solitary confinement off your list of accomplishments, because that's where all of you are going."

I already scratched that off my list within the first hours of being in Camp Archstone. But I didn't remind him, because honestly, I didn't mind being alone.

**-x-**

I had probably only been alone in the hotbox for ten minutes, when the door slowly creaked open, and Guy entered.

I stared up at his stern face, and sighed.

"Guy, this is where we had our first conversation. Well, actually this isn't the _exact_ hotbox, but you get what-"

"Come on Bella, Larry wants to see you in his office." Guy stepped out of the hotbox, and I sat there stunned. "Hurry up please…" he said in a more serious voice from outside the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" I sighed, sitting up, "Not that I want too…"

**-x-**

I never did like walking up to the mess hall. It's such a climb, and when it's as hot as it is this morning, the sweat easily pours down your back.

But I did make it. Guy led me of course, and we got into Larry's office faster than I would have liked.

But little did I know, Larry wasn't sitting alone in his office.

I stopped in place when I saw a familiar man sitting in the chair, facing Larry at his desk.

"Bella…" Charlie smiled at me, "You look good."

He stared at me with a smile on his face. I couldn't tell if he was smiling because he was happy to see me, or because he was trying to hide the shock from seeing how I looked. Probably the latter of the two…

I started to back up, and Guy's chest suddenly hit me in the back. I had no where to run…

"Why don't you take a seat Bella?" Larry pointed to the seat next to Charlie.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on here?" I said calmly. But I wasn't calm. My breathing was unsteady, and I had to hide my hands curling into fists by shoving them into my cargo short pockets.

"Alright, that's easy; it's family day, and your father is here to see you."

I laughed. "_Father_…that's a good one Larry. Charlie has never been there for me. The dog took better care of me than him- and I don't even have one."

I hadn't made eye contact with Charlie yet, but he wouldn't stop staring at me. What was he looking at? Was he expecting to see me teary eyed, blushing, and grinning from ear to ear?

"Well, I'll leave you two alone…" Larry stood, and walked across the room slowly to make his grand exit before shutting the door.

_Great._

"So…" Charlie turned in his chair to get a better look at me. I continued to stare out the window, and lean on the wall like no one else was in the room. "How've you been?"

_What a stupid question. _"Are you serious?" I snapped at him.

He looked at me like a deer caught in headlights.

"I'm in a facility for troubled youth- against my own will- how the fuck do you think I am?"

He sighed. "Well I see your attitude hasn't changed at all. It's a shame too. This place has gotten so many great reviews, I thought it would be perfect."

"This place doesn't live up to what it's made out to be. Not one counsellor is legit, and none of them have given me a piece of advice on how I can turn my life around. It's bullshit here. They think they can do scare tactics to straighten us out, when really, the camping trips are actually just teaching us how to survive in the wilderness minus a tent. It. Is. Pointless." I said the last few words slowly, and then just stared at his face.

"Well, I guess you still have some work to do on bettering yourself." He stood up from his chair, but I wasn't done with him.

I blocked the door when he walked towards it, and I actually shoved him. "_Bettering myself_? What the fuck does that mean? I am who I am because I choose to live my life this way. Just because it is not your ideal, doesn't mean that it's the wrong way. You can't change me."

He crossed his arms, and stared down at me. "Oh please. You act all tough now. You'll smarten up and fly straight soon enough. And one day we'll look back at this and laugh."

He tried to get around me, but I stepped in front of him again. "I like not being your chip off the old block. I like that you're ashamed of me. You can try and leave me here as long as you want, but I'll just break out, and then we'll see who's laughing."

He laughed. I had to cross my arms to keep from punching him.

"Bella, I am so looking forward for the real you to return. If you give this place a chance, I know everything will be back to normal."

"What is normal, Charlie?"

"You calling me Dad, doing your homework, going to school, not doing drugs, keeping out of trouble-"

I grinned. "Well, you can kiss all those things goodbye, because I am _never_ returning to Forks, and I am _never_ being that girl for you again."

"Oh yeah? Well I get the final say on what happens to you. I put you in here, and I'm not taking you out until I get what I paid for."

"Worst money you ever spent."

"We'll see." He stepped around me, and I let him go.

_Yes. We_ will_ see…_

**-x-**

**Brooke's POV**

_I was taken out of solitary confinement for this?_

"There's my girl," Mom held out her arms, and I reluctantly walked into them, and let her hug me.

I knew there was going to be a time when she showed up, and I promised myself that I would not fall for her acting nice to me. She put me here for no reason, and I couldn't just turn a blind eye to that fact.

But instead of acting hard, giving her the cold shoulder, and shoving her away from me; I let her talk, and I began to listen.

"Yes, the farm's doing great. Your brother has cleared the fields, and in a couple months it will be pumpkin season. Maybe you'll be out by then to help him." she smiled hugely and rubbed my back. But I stared blankly into the sunlight coming from the window, still hung up on a word that bothered me.

_Maybe?_

She hadn't changed. She was still thinking about herself, and planning on my return so I could get back to working and making profit for her.

"That's like three months away. How long are you planning on imprisoning me here?" my voice was no longer friendly. I couldn't keep it together.

"Now don't start being dramatic…" Mom leaned back in her seat, and I stared at her.

"You're unbelievable. I can't stand you. When I get out of here, I'm moving out. I should never have stayed with you and that disgusting creature-"

"Hey, don't talk about your step-father like that. I thought we were done with that crap, but I can see you still need to learn a thing or two about respect."

I shook my head in disbelief when I realized that she was clearly still involved with that creep. Why couldn't she believe her own daughter, and ditch the prick before he hurt not only me again, but her.

"You talk as if you know a thing about respect. You think you're better than me because you're sitting there, and I'm sitting here. Well guess what, your choices put me here. How does it feel to know that a relationship you formed with some despicable human has destroyed your daughter's life?"

She was already standing and trying to get out of the room before I could finish, and I had to follow her out the door to keep her from running away, and having her keep me here for good.

"Wow, big surprise. You're ditching me, and avoiding the facts. Take off your fucking rose coloured glasses, and hear me out!" I grabbed her arm, and flipped her around to face me.

We were alone in the mess hall. If she had the chance to confess her knowledge of the situation her husband put me through, this exact moment was it.

I stared into her eyes when she stared into mine. And just as she was about to open her mouth, an unpleasant figure walked into the entrance of the hall.

I lost it.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!" I tried to shove past her, but suddenly, Guy came from behind me, and held my arms to my side.

I wanted to spit in her face when she cringed away from me, and slithered over to the entrance where the image from my past stood tall- cowardly hidden behind his dark shades.

"Fuck woman! You trap me here like bait for him!" I thrashed against Guy, and he tried to calm me down, but I was starting to cry.

Mom never did hold up well against tears. Instead of standing tall for me, and finishing the rest of our visit, she took his hand, and left me crying into Guy's chest.

When I heard the mess hall screen door slam, I pulled away from Guy, looked him in the eye, and promised him one thing.

"He's got something coming for him. I will not rest until he is six feet beneath the earth."

_Not a promise. More like an oath._

**Bella's POV**

Guy ditched me at my cabin. He told me to behave, and wait for the rest of my cabin mates to return, and then Larry would come and talk to us. But there was no way in hell that I was waiting around for those chicks, who didn't care that they were wasting away their lives in a prison camp. Today I was living on an impulse, and at the moment, I felt like ditching life.

I slammed the cabin door open, sprinted across the paths, and headed into the woods. And as I ran as fast as I could, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched.

I stopped in my spot, and did a 180 to find a figure in the distance, staring me down.

It was Larry, and for once he wasn't chasing me. He simply watched me, and after making full eye contact with him, I turned my back and ran deep into the forest.

And you know what? I don't think he even cared. We both hated each other enough to never want to see the other again- and hopefully that would be accomplished.

**-x-**

**Logan's POV**

Sharon pulled me out of the fucking hotbox just in time. I was beginning to die in there, and my shirt couldn't get any wetter. But when I stepped out of the box, I was shocked to see Mom standing beside her, staring in awe at me, with a hand covering her mouth to hold herself together- or maybe it was the smell…

I turned my back to her, and took a step back into the confinement, but Sharon started yanking at me.

"No! Just talk to her. You need to talk to your family, and clear things over." Sharon pulled me by my sweaty arm to come face to face with the devil, and she walked off in the distance to give us some privacy.

Mom looked me up and down, accusing me with her eyes that were conveniently half hidden behind her catlike dark frames.

"Come to help a lost soul find Jesus, have you?" I blinked innocently, and she sighed in defeat.

"Thank god I didn't bring your father here."

"Yes. Praise the lord! God forbid he finds out the truth about _everything_." I gave her a devious smile.

"He knows. That's why he didn't come. He's quite ashamed of you." She looked at her nails, not bothering to give me the satisfaction to stare her down with murderous glares.

I knew she was bluffing, but I played along.

"I don't care. I'm quite ashamed to have him as a father. Same goes for you too, _M__om_."

"I see they feed you well here," she glanced at my stomach, and then cut her eyes back to my face.

That was my mom. Chopping people up was how she made herself feel tall.

"No. I'm just pregnant again…" I smiled. She gave a disgusted look and closed her eyes.

"How can you even joke about such a thing?" she opened her eyes and waited for an answer.

"I'm a sick individual. I guess it's inherited."

"This meeting isn't very productive. And I honestly didn't even want to come."

"Either did I," I crossed my arms, "I think you should go."

She nodded. "I couldn't agree more. I can't even believe what I'm seeing in front of me. I couldn't have raised this," she looked me up and down, "I knew I should have home schooled you…"

I couldn't help but grin. She was off in her own world, and I was just standing here, not even apart of it.

"Of course you would find being here funny. Does nothing faze you? I don't know what I did to deserve you and your lifestyle. I just wish I could go back and-"

"Have an abortion? Because look," I showcased myself like a model, "It fixed my problems."

She actually pretended she didn't hear the word… "Don't waste your time waiting for another visit. I'm not coming back for you until you're back to being yourself."

"I was never myself."

"Okay so see you later honey," she turned her back on me and walked away.

_Wrong…_

**-x-**

"Where are Bella and Tracy?" I asked Brooke, who was lying on her back in her bunk.

"Probably still in a hotbox somewhere, waiting for their doom…" she sighed.

"Was it that bad?" I asked. She didn't answer right away, and I took a seat on Tracy's bunk bed.

"It was bad…" she whispered, "So bad that I don't even want to talk about it."

I nodded. I felt the same way.

"I mean, who does my mom think she is? Showing up with _him!_" she was getting angry, and I guess not talking wasn't an option.

"Yeah. My mom is a prick too. I wasn't surprised though…I can't wait to get the fuck out of here. But then again, I would love to stay here forever, just to stick it to her."

We both laughed, and when silence filled the room, my brain started showing me something.

Staying forever wasn't an option, but returning home to her wasn't one as well. So that left-

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Brooke suddenly sprang from her bed, and barged towards the door. Luckily I was able to cut her off, and try to knock some sense into her.

"Dude, I know what you're thinking. I was just thinking it too, but we can't just-"

"Yes _I_ can. I don't care about my mom, I don't care about my friends back home- I hate them- and I don't care about any of you bitches at the moment. I only care about myself now." Brooke tried to step around me, but I blocked her again. "Either come with me, or get the hell out of my way. You're wasting time."

"Why don't you think about this-"

"Thinking kills believing." She shoved past me, and sprinted out the door.

I chose to follow along with her cause I'm an idiot.

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

It was awkward sitting on the docks with my parents. There was so much to say, but none of us knew where to start, so silence just kind of filtered through us.

Mom sat next to Dad, and I sat next to mom. We all had our feet in the water; just like a vacation at the beach I guess. Only not.

Dad finally spoke up. "Tracy, do you ever get to go swimming?"

I shrugged. "Ummm, yeah. We've been swimming." Sort of.

"Oh did you meet some friends here?" Mom asked, smiling.

Don't sound so shocked… "Yes. The girl's in my cabin. They're nice."

"Oh, well I'm happy for you. We both are," Mom took Dad's hand and grinned at him.

I didn't say anything more.

"Tracy we're just glad to see you. And if you think you want to come home, just let us know."

My head snapped away from mom's gaze, and I had to pretend I didn't just hear that. They were giving me the option to come home…

"But take your time here. Move at your own pace. It's going to be okay." Mom smiled, and I cringed on the inside.

I nodded.

"Well, we should probably be leaving. Tracy you're doing great, like we knew you would be." Dad helped mom and me up from sitting, and hugged me tightly. "We'll see you when we see you."

Dad pulled away from me, and headed back to the mess hall, with mom strolling behind him after she hugged me. The two of them were the storybook couple, and walking into the horizon was fitting for them; as was leaving me behind.

Since the beginning my parents have been telling me to live a little, be yourself, and act free. But never have I taken their advice. And today, they finally tell me something I've already been doing. Moving at my own pace, and taking my time was the sort of person I am…

I started to walk off the docks, but I didn't head back to the cabins like I should have. Instead of doing the right thing, I went back on what my parents wanted me to do, and I decided to live a little, and be free- free from the confines of this camp.

I had no idea where I was going, or if I was going to come back later on tonight. All I wanted to do was walk, and enjoy the wilderness surroundings.

Was that so terrible?

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

Dad came. I said hi. He said hi. He left. Big deal. The end.

**Edward's POV**

I had been in the isolation box for hours. Guy was taking his time to come and get me for my turn. I knew what was happening. It was family day. I didn't really care who came and saw me. I just wanted to know how Bella's visit went with Charlie. But I wasn't even sure if she had gone yet, or if she was still waiting.

The door finally opened and Guy motioned me out. "Your Dad and sister are both here." He pointed to Alice and Carlisle, standing on the mess hall deck. "Can you handle walking up there yourself, or do I have to baby you like everyone else?"

I shook my head no. "No that's fine. I'll manage. But can I ask you if Bella saw her father yet?"

Guy nodded. "Yup, did she ever." And as he walked away he thought about Bella's visit with Charlie, and I cringed.

I guess she had a lot of things to get off her chest…

Alice waved for me to hurry it along, so I sprinted over to her and Carlisle, and grinned when I came up in front of them.

"Alice. I wasn't expecting you here." I admitted, pulling my hand through my hair.

"Yeah. Carlisle asked me to come. And I was hoping to get a glimpse of Bella."

"She's back in her cabin. And I don't think you guys are on good terms anyway…" I told her. She gave me a discouraged look.

"Whatever. If I remember correctly, she wasn't on good terms with you either." She grinned when I rolled my eyes at her, and Carlisle laughed.

"Can you see Bella's future at all yet?" I was hopeful for her answer, but I wasn't expecting her to nod.

"Sure have. Watch this one. It's quite interesting…" She closed her eyes, and showed Bella from a distance, looking over a really high ledge, overlooking very tall trees. Then it stopped.

"That was short." I sighed. I was hoping it was going to be more exciting, and possibly have me next to her…

"What do you expect? I haven't been able to find her future in forever. Besides, what do you think her standing on a cliff means?" she cocked an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe it's La Push. I guess she'll get out of here eventually."

Alice nodded.

But honestly, I had no idea what that meant, and I had no clue if that was in fact La Push or maybe it was Oregon still. Plus, I hated the idea of Bella being alone on a cliff. It wasn't smart…

**-x-**

An hour later, Carlisle and Alice were gone. I was glad too, because I just wanted to get back to my cabin, and relax a little.

It was while I was walking down a path towards my cabin that Guy came off another path with worry covering his face.

"Edward, report to the mess hall _now_," he shoved through me, and headed towards the mess hall.

I couldn't put one foot in front of the other, because everything suddenly became crystal clear when I took a look inside his mind. Apparently some residents were MIA- and one of them was Bella.

_I guess the cliff scene was Oregon after all…_

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A/N: I am staying with this story, and expect a lot more chapters. I am not starting a new one until this is done- which isn't soon.

**Thank you for the advice on whether I should ditch this one or not, and thank you so much for voting.**

**As for this fanfic, I have made an outline for it. And I know there are a lot of unanswered questions, so I hope to answer them all. This story is not over.**

**-x-**


	34. Somebody's Watching You

**Refresher: **After family day, everyone is a bit upset- especially the girls. Logan and Brooke decide to ditch camp, and run off into the woods. Tracy strolls of into the woods after deciding that she needs to just be free, and not do the right thing. And Bella sprints off into the woods, which Larry notices- but does nothing to stop her.

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**Chapter 34: Somebody's Watching You**

**Guy's POV**

"We need to call in professional help!" I slammed down my fist onto Larry's desk, which only made him flinch.

"It's only been a few hours-"

"Since we noticed their disappearance! They could have ditched this place longer than that!"

"Well I only follow the rules here. And we only call in the choppers after 48 hours of disappearance. This place doesn't have fences so what do you expect? Kids are bound to wonder off, just like they are bound to wonder back when they find out there is nothing out there but wilderness." Larry stood up from his chair, and crossed his arms.

"Just like Jenny, right?" I said blankly.

He glared at me, and that's when he tried to defend his past mistake. "That girl was crazy. She was looking for attention, and when she didn't get it-"

"You ignored her disappearance- just like you're trying to do again with these girls. You tried to call her bluff, and not go out looking for her, and what happened? Nothing! Because she never did come back. You waited too long, and now-"

"Jenny was suicidal. She probably jumped off some cliff, and that was the end of that." He pointed towards the door, "Now, if Bella, Tracy, Brooke and Miss Logan don't return within the next 48 hours, I will not make the same mistake I did last time; I will send out the choppers then."

"You're already starting to make the same mistake you did last time," I turned my back to him and walked out of his office.

This camp was going downhill, and it didn't help that a prick was running this shit show.

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

"You can't go out looking for her. We're being watched like hawks, and good luck trying to sneak out of here. The mess hall has one exit, and look who's standing on it," I nodded over to Rick, "Don't worry so much. She's with the other girls."

Edward lowly growled, and turned to glare at me. "Oh, she's with a bunch of teenage girls. Thank god. Okay, I guess we can sit back and relax."

I nodded, "That's the spirit! She's fine. Hey, do you know how to play blackjack, because I have a deck of cards and Jack, Landon and I are-"

He smashed me in the shoulder, and swore underneath his breath. "You're unbelievable."

_Whatever._

**Edward's POV**

Every time Bella did something stupid, I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. And I was so tired of feeling it. I hated acting like her father when she got herself hurt, or was about to do something that would get herself hurt. Was this the type of relationship she was setting me up for? Would it ever change? It didn't feel like it.

I put my head down on the table and closed my eyes.

I'm done. I don't want to chase Bella around forever. I don't want to worry about her every second of the day. When she gets back to camp, I'm telling her the truth; I think her behaviour is ridiculous, her attitude is terrible, and she needs to change- for herself.

Or maybe I should just get a life and stop thinking about what I want, and just wait for the girl of my dreams to come back to me. Bella is on the road to recovery…

_Yeah__, 'cause _that_ will happen…_

Bella should never have come to this camp. She is fine. She has nothing wrong with her, and nothing to even recover from. She is just a teenager…and I'm a damn vampire…

"You're not going after her, are you?" Jacob tapped me on the shoulder.

I didn't know the answer to that.

"I don't know…" I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "Maybe. Not right now."

Jacob stared at me, completely confused. I was confused too.

"I love her." I covered my face, and growled into my hands, "But I hate her right now."

Jacob laughed. "Girl's suck. But who cares. She'll be back tonight, and you can tell her how much she pisses you off then. Okay?"

He was right. "Okay."

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I was sprinting through the forest for hours, and I felt like I could go forever. Tree branches scratched my skin as I whipped by them, and mud scattered across my face when I tripped occasionally- but that didn't bother me.

I was never going back to Forks, and I was never being that girl for Charlie.

I _will_ get the last laugh.

**Karen's**** POV**

"Brooke, this was sooo not as fun as I thought it would be…" I whined, leaning on a tree.

Brooke gave me a look. "No one is forcing you to be here. You know the way back, so go!"

"Actually, I don't. We've been walking in circles for hours, and our little wilderness hike is completely pointless."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you then. All I know is that I am finding myself a way out of camp."

"Well we sort of went the hard way around…we could have just found the entrance…" I said lowly.

"Yes, because they wouldn't expect that! How dumb are you?"

"I don't really know anymore. I don't even want to be out here, honestly. I just want to get out of the woods-" I stopped complaining when I heard a branch snap, and both Brooke and I spun around to face a girl slowly walking towards us.

"Ladies…" Hatcher smiled, snapping the twig in her hands for the second time.

"Hatcher right?" I asked her. She nodded. "What brings you out here?"

She grinned. "I've been in this camp forever, what makes you think I don't get out, just for the fun of it?"

I looked over at Brooke, and she looked kind of frightened of her.

"What about you two? You look…lost?" she started circling us.

"Yeah. We're trying to get away from the camp. Any ideas in which direction the camp _isn't_?" Brooke cocked an eyebrow at her.

Hatcher shrugged. "Of course I do. There is a road about an hour or two in that direction," she pointed over our shoulders, "Good luck staying on track though, it gets rough out there."

I cringed on the inside. _An hour or two…_

"I could show you the way…if you would like?" Hatcher offered.

"Okay." I was optimistic now, "If you're sure you know what you're doing…"

Hatcher nodded, but Brooke had to voice her opinion.

"Hold on a sec. How do we know we can trust you? Because from what I've seen and heard about you…you're not exactly that…non-violent?"

Hatcher glared at her, and I took a step away from Brooke. "I think you're trustworthy. From remembering what you did to Bella, I think you value trust…" I had to get my word out there, and Brooke swore under her breath at me.

"Good. I'm glad you and I are on the same page then," Hatcher smiled, "What about you then?" She nodded over at Brooke.

I held my breath and prayed Brooke wouldn't say something that would get her and I shot in the face.

"_Fuck_…okay. But you better know what you're doing." Brooke walked over to stand in front of Hatcher, "Lead on leader, and don't make us disappointed."

Hatcher laughed. "God forbid…"

**Tracy's POV**

I walked for an hour, sat for twenty minutes, then walked for another hour, and then I was back lying on the ground again.

How did I get to this? When did I decide that letting people walk all over me was okay?

I rolled over onto my stomach and didn't care that my face was lying in a bunch of leaves, dirt, and god only knows what else.

I just started thinking about who I would love to tell off right now…like the girl in seventh grade who made fun of my favourite sweater, or the boy in ninth grade who told me my teeth were yellow. I was so insecure then that stupid comments like that bothered me…but right now I feel like I could beat the shit out of them and not even care.

I began to laugh, and stood up on my two feet.

"God I need to get back to camp and show the world up…"

And I turned around, and walked back in the direction I came from.

**Bella's POV**

I stopped sprinting when the exhaustion finally caught up with me. That pissed me off because I wanted to get away as fast as possible, and leaning over, and breathing heavy wasn't how I wanted to spend my time away. I wanted to be free, have fun, and enjoy myself.

I tried to catch my breath so I could start running again. I needed to get as far as I could with the sun up, because everyone knows I hate traveling in the dark.

But when I straightened out, and looked up into the sky, the sun was playing tricks on me; someone was watching me from high up in the trees.

I squinted to test my theory, but that only blurred my vision, and when it was restored, the figure didn't exist.

I started to run again, and ignored the voice in my head that was telling me something was out there…_watching_.

Logs tried to trip me, tree branches tried to catch me, and spider webs tried to stop me- but I kept running. I was scared…seriously scared.

"You're being an idiot…" I whispered to myself as I sprinted through the forest, "You're so lame…" And I proved myself right.

Suddenly, a branch seemed to have come out of nowhere, and I was close lined- blackness came over me.

_**A few minutes later…**_

I opened my eyes to blurriness, and like before, I cold see a figure in the trees above me. But when I squinted, and regained my vision, the figure didn't disappear.

I screamed, and tried to jolt upward, but the figure jumped from the tree, and came two inches away from my face. I laid perfectly still on the ground, and stared like the figure was doing to me.

It was a girl, about my age, with wild, dark, curly hair, dark skin, and dark eyes. She had this curious look on her face, but she also looked like she was fighting herself- she looked angry.

"Hi?" I stayed lying still on the ground, "Who are you?"

She flinched when I spoke up, and retreated to lean on the other side of a tree.

I didn't know if I as hallucinating. I had hit that tree branch pretty hard….

I leaned up onto my elbows, and felt the back of my neck, and made sure my head was still attached to it. _Yup._

"You're from the camp…" the girl said from behind the tree.

_No shit._ "Maybe." I slowly stood up, and she was in front of me all the sudden. Her face was serious, and I nodded. "Yes. Yes I am."

She looked over my shoulder, and started thinking really hard. Her dark eyes suddenly found mine. "Who runs it now?"

I fumbled for words. I was taken back by how straight forward she was. "Ummm…well…it's sort of run by-"

"Don't say Larry."

I shut my mouth to keep from saying his name, and I shrugged when she continued to stare me down, but she wasn't really looking at me- her mind was somewhere else, living it up in the past.

"Does he still wear that navy shirt?" she was actually looking at _me_ now, not staring into space like before.

"Yes. Yes he does…" I didn't know whether to laugh at that, or not. How did she know this?

She grinned out of nowhere, and crossed her arms. "Really?" she started to laugh- a real true laugh, and I just stared, too confused to make a wrong move.

She finally stopped, and sighed. I put my hands in my pockets, and that's when I noticed her eyeing my outfit.

"Jesus, they haven't changed a thing there," she tugged at the sleeve of my stained white shirt, and her chuckles slowly built up to laughter again.

I was beginning to become uncomfortable with not knowing what was going on, and who she was. So I grew some balls, and spoke up.

"Who are you?" I looked her up and down, and noticed for the first time her clothes. They were old looking, extremely dirty, and sort of looked like…mine? Yup, she was wearing cargo shorts with so many holes in them, and a t-shirt that was no longer white. And on her feet…

My eyes snapped up to hers, and she stared blankly into mine. "Don't tell me you're-"

"Jenny? Yes. Yes I am."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter!**

**-x-**


	35. Death is Only the Beginning

**Refresher: **The girls ran off. Tracy is on her own, Brooke and Karen are together with Hatcher, and Bella's alone. Bella then becomes paranoid, and feels like someone is watching her- which there is. That's when she meets Jenny.

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews from the last chapter! Over like thirty! Hahah, which is a lot for one of my chapters…haha. But yeah, here's an update for you guys, and I hope you love it.

**

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**Chapter 35: Death Is Only The Beginning**

**Bella's POV**

_My eyes snapped up to hers, and she stared blankly into mine. "Don't tell me you're-"_

"_Jenny? Yes. Yes I am."_

My eyes widened, but I managed to keep hold of my jaw from dropping.

She laughed. "Has Larry been talking about me? That surprises me. I thought I would be one of those cases he sweeps under the mat," she was grinning, and I couldn't help but stare at her.

She was different than what I thought. I didn't expect this full of life girl. I didn't expect her to be so funny, or serious, or gorgeous…a little too gorgeous.

I stared at her eyes, hoping to find an explanation for her looks. But they were just black, and couldn't explain why she was so quick, and angry, and then back to being normal.

"What's your story?" she asked, walking away from me. I followed her for some reason, completely intrigued by this mysterious girl whom Larry once tried to hide.

I hesitated. I was unsure of how to start my violin story.

"Start from the beginning. We have a long way to go." She said.

I was shocked. She nearly read my mind. "You don't have a clue where I'm headed though," I continued to walk beside her, even when her eyes cut to mine to give me _a look._

"Neither do you."

I blinked. She grinned at that.

The fucker was right. I didn't know where I was going.

"I know where I'm _not_ headed…" I hesitated, "That's something."

She nodded. "Sure."

I waited for her to say something more. But she didn't. We just both walked on, and continued up a steep slope. Eventually, the trees began to thin out, and we came in front of a cliff.

I gasped. "Holy shit." I walked out to the ledge of it, and looked at the fall to below. It was an extremely long distance, and extremely rocky.

"You're brave," Jenny stayed a distance away from the cliff, but she had her eyes glued to me. I could tell she was off in her own world again, thinking hard about something.

"Why's that?" I turned my back to the cliff, but watched where I put my footing.

Her eyes widened. "Look at you. It's pretty dumb to stand so close to a ledge, especially not facing it…"

I laughed. "I'm not afraid of death. It's never been that big a deal. When I go, I go." I stepped away from the cliff and came to stand in front of her. "Speaking of death…" I looked her up and down, my eyes tracing over her tattered clothing, and stopping on her darkened eyes. "How the hell are you still out here?"

I swear, her eyes got darker, and her temper started up again. "Because." She simply said, shoving through me.

"Fuck!" I held my shoulder where she barged through me, "You're quite a solid individual. I'd expect you to be a skinny bitch for living out here for a few years or whatever it is."

She stopped in her place, and spun around to glare at me. "What are you saying?"

"Why the hell have you stayed around here, and how the hell are you still alive?" My voice was loud, and I wanted to intimidate her. But she suddenly rushed me, and grabbed me by my shirt neck. S_he _was the only intimidating one.

"For the last time…WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" she yelled, and an echo could be heard in the distance.

"Nothing." I lied.

She dropped the hold of my shirt, but didn't move away from me. "What's your name?"

"Bella Swan," I said too quickly.

"And why are you out here?" she moved an inch closer to my face, and my stomach turned. _She was so scary all the sudden…_

"Same reason as you…" I said hesitantly.

She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Partly to get away, partly to figure out what I'm getting away from…and partly for no reason at all…" I admitted.

A smile formed on her face, and I sunk back into myself when she finally took a step back from me.

"You're smart. How old are you?" she asked.

"Seventeen…how old are you?"

"Ummm…let's just say seventeen."

**-x-**

**Tracy's POV**

I couldn't find my way. The trees looked the same, and I had no idea if I was going in circles, or if the camp was just behind the next bend.

But it never was.

I started to hyperventilate, and I picked up my speed when I realized this could be it. Getting lost in the forest might be the only exciting thing to happen in my life- and the last.

Although, even before I could completely start to break down, my eyes gazed over to a clearing- filled with a couple girls.

_What the hell…_

"Tracy?" Brooke looked through the trees at me, and covered her mouth when she realized her eyes were not playing tricks on her.

I walked into the clearing and smiled. "Hello girls." I looked into all their eyes, and noticed another girl- Hatcher was her name if I remember correctly.

"Sup?" Hatcher nodded over at me.

I shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just the same shit, different day…"

Logan laughed. "So where the hell is Bella?"

"Oh my god, can you imagine if she was the only one who stayed behind? That would be hilarious…" Brooke covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"That would suck. She was the only one who wanted to go," I took a seat next to Brooke, and ignored Hatcher's eyes fixed on me.

"Apparently not. Who would have thought that Tracy would have the balls to ditch the camp?" Logan stood up and stretched out her arms. "And now what? We're all here, without a direction to go, looking like a bunch of jackasses."

I sighed, along with Brooke. But Hatcher didn't. She began swearing instead.

"Fuck guys! You girls are a bunch of wimps. I said I will get us out of here, now all I need is your trust. Now is not the time for changing your minds."

"Our minds were never set. What's there to change…?" Logan sighed, lying back in the leaves.

"Hatcher, you said you know the way out? Where's that?" I asked, standing up and staring at her.

She pointed over her shoulder. "There's a road, a couple miles that way. It's the best way out."

"That's what you keep saying! But we haven't come across a road now have we!" Brooke yelled, clearly frustrated with Hatcher.

"Well let me show you, and then you won't regret leaving camp," Hatcher started walking away, and for some reason, I followed along with her- and it wasn't long before the other two were on my heels.

Did I trust Hatcher? _No_. Did I like Hatcher? _Hell no_. But did I believe she might know her way around…_sorta_.

I crossed my fingers as Hatcher led us further into the unknown, and prayed to God that there was such thing as _this road_. Now, where that led us to…_who knows_…

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

Jenny was mysterious. She liked avoiding my questions, and keeping her distance from me- sometimes _literally_.

But that didn't prevent her from prying into my business.

"Bella, why do I get the sense that you have a lot of secrets?" Jenny twisted around, and cocked an eyebrow at me.

I stopped walking, and laughed. "_I_ have a lot of secrets…_you_ haven't told me one thing about yourself yet."

"So?"

"_So?_" I mocked her velvety smooth voice. "I know you're hiding something from me too."

She turned and started walking away from me, but I followed, and continued to persist on the elephant in the room. "Like Jenny, explain to me how the hell you were so high in the trees, or how the hell you survive out here?"

"I'm a wilderness nut. I love the outdoors." She walked faster, but I kept up with her.

_Liar. Liar. I know what you are…_

"Nah, I don't think that's exactly it. You're too pretty to be an outdoor freak…" I told her.

That did it. She finally huffed, and spun around. "Why don't you just ask it already? I know that you know, and you obviously now know that I know you know, so just spit it out!"

I grinned, and rocked back on my heels. But I couldn't spit it out, because my breath was suddenly taken away at the sight of where we were standing.

"Jenny…where are we?…"

Directly in front of us was the most terrifying river I had ever seen in my life. It had painfully white rapids, dangerously sharp rocks jutting out from the lapping of water, and the sound coming from it was deafening.

This river was _amazing_.

"It's nothing worth getting your panties in a bunch over. It's just a river. I've seen it many times."

I gasped. "_Just_ a river? That river puts other rivers to shame. I think it's the shit."

"Well, I know a few white water rafters who would disagree with you. They failed to do their research, and took a nasty spill over the falls."

"It has a water fall! Oh my god, we have to go explore it!'

"Oh my god! Like no!" She mocked my voice perfectly.

"Why Jenny! We have nothing better to do…" I whined like a fourth-grader trying to push her curfew out till seven.

"Because I am not babysitting you, that's why. You're lucky I haven't ditched you yet. I don't even know why I stuck around."

"Pssh. I can answer that question for you."

"God, don't say for company. Because I _love _being alone. I actually miss it right now."

"No. It's because you were once me- you can relate. You ran away from camp, looking for something, and you didn't know what it was. But _it _found _you_, and I think it changed your life- for the better."

She stared at me and crossed her arms. She actually played along, and didn't deny anything. "And what found me?"

I lowered my voice. "Something you didn't even think existed."

She was still staring at me, and she cocked her head to the side in frustration.

"And now, you want _that_ to happen to me. You think I'm broken, and you _think_ you know the answer to fix me." I sighed at the end of my little confession, and she finally blinked- not that vampires really needed to blink.

It was so obvious. She was gorgeous. She was quick. She was _alive_- sorta. She wasn't human, and that didn't bother me. I thought it was great. It was the final 'take that!' to the world, where she comes out on top, and she cheats out what would have been a shitty existence.

I was sort of jealous. She was in control. She knew who she was- or what she was- and I was a pathetic human girl, running from my past.

"What? You think I'm a-"

"Vampire? Yes. Yes I do." I crossed my arms like hers, and she finally snapped out of staring at me.

"You're crazy." She shoved through me, and like before, I noticed she was quite solid.

"No. _You_ are. You're hiding out in a forest, when you could be exploring the world."

"And why would I do that?" she hissed.

"More like why _not_…" I ran my fingers through my stringy, discoloured hair, "I'd kill to be you."

She laughed. "That's usually the trade…"

But I couldn't continue my rant on becoming what she was; I heard some familiar voices from behind me.

"What the…" Jenny took a step back, and I turned around to a sweaty looking Karen, and the rest of the gang. Oh, and Hatcher…

"Hatcher?" both Jenny and I whispered.

My head snapped over to Jenny, and her eyes looked just as shocked as mine. Apparently we both had _Hatcher_ in common.

"Bella, who's that?" Tracy whispered. Her gaze was in Jenny's direction.

I looked over at Jenny to make sure she was still around, and the look on her face was…inhuman. _Fitting for her…_

"Jenny." Both Hatcher and I said.

Hatcher's eyes were fixated on Jenny, as were Jenny's on Hatchers. Neither of their faces were composed.

"Still at Camp Archstone, Hatcher? How pathetic. You never did have the balls to run." Jenny was egging her on for a cat fight, and I was in on who had the upper hand. _Vampires always win…_

"Still alive, Jenny? It's so like you to fail at dying- just like all those attempts at taking your own life. Oh well, we all know you're a drama queen."

Jenny actually took a step forward, and I could have laughed when I looked over at Hatcher. She actually looked worried.

I grinned. _Payback's a bitch, bitch. _

But we were suddenly sidetracked from a catfight when we realized how stupid Karen was; leaning over the edge of the river for a drink of water.

"Logan!" I said her real name so she knew I wasn't playing, "You're going to fall in. Don't be an idiot!" But I was asking too much of her.

"I'm dying over here. I'm hot, I need a drink…" She yelled, leaning further down over the rocky ledge, and scooping up some water in a shaky hand. She brought it to her dry mouth, and drank it greedily- and too quickly.

We all cringed as she began to loose her balance from leaning on only one arm, and we barely had time to gasp as Karen fell over the edge.

I snapped out of it, and I was clearly not thinking when I sprinted forward, and jumped into the icy, white waters of the river.

My body went into shock from the temperature, and my teeth rattled as the rapids tried to force me beneath the waters. But I fought back, because I kept telling myself one thing; _Karen can't swim_.

I was slightly aware of the girls running along the river's edge, keeping up with the flow pushing me down the river, but I kept my eyes glued on Karen's body, hugging onto a rock a bit of a distance away.

I was determined to catch onto that rock as well, and when the opportunity came, I pushed my body over to her, and latched on beside her.

"Hey bitch," I said through mouthfuls of water, "How's it hanging?" Water suddenly splashed over our heads, but I grabbed onto her wrists to keep her on the rock with me.

Her eyes were scared, and her body was shaking, but she was still able to speak her mind. "You're so lame…" her teeth chattered, and her arms tightened on the rock when the water started to tug us harder off of it, "But you're the bravest son-of-a-bitch I know."

That, for Karen, was the only form of a compliment I would ever get from her. And rubbing it in right now wasn't the time or place.

"Just bitch is fine, but thanks," I tightened my hold on one of her wrists, and wrapped my arm around her waist, "Are you ready to let go. We make a beeline for the ledge over there by the girls. That's all we can do." I yelled over the pounding of the water.

She nodded.

"On the count of three…ONE…TWO …THREE!" I yanked her off the rock, but I didn't let her go. The water dragged us both beneath the surface, but I kicked my legs as hard as I could, and we resurfaced.

The hard part wasn't over; it was getting to the right of the river that was difficult. I dragged Karen and myself through the swirling of the water, and tried to avoid the rapids, but that wasn't happening. We were tugged, and thrown all over the river, until finally I realized that staying attached to each other wasn't working.

I took in a breath of air, mixed with water, and when we both came into contact with another rock, I made the decision to rip Karen off of it, get a slight footing on it, and shove her towards the shoreline.

Karen screamed when I let her go, but her body swung hard to the right, and the girls grabbed onto her flailing limbs.

I didn't have that same fate.

My limbs were being ripped apart from being dragged into a whirl pool, and spun into more rapids, and shoved back under the water. My nose stung from accidentally breathing in some water, and my ears were ringing from being clogged.

Oxygen found my lungs again when I was thrown through the surface, and through a bunch of jagged rocks. Pain ripped through my ribs and arms as I tried to avoid them, but it was impossible. And just as I thought the worst was over, I looked ahead, and remembered my conversation with Jenny- about the falls.

It was a dead-end drop, and as I came up closer, the drop was more clear- and looked a lot worse than I pictured.

_This river isn't very amazing after all…_

I couldn't even scream when the falls came right up in front of me. My fate was dead front and center, and for once, I saw the direction my life was going- to an end.

The river pushed me over the edge, and instead of seeing my life flash before my eyes, I only saw Edward- and how I had left too many loose ends with him.

It's sort of true though; when the end is near, all you can think about is the beginning. And the first time I was ever truly happy in my life, I was with Edward.

But that didn't matter right now. Because blackness overcame me, and all I could feel was pressure as I was engulfed deeper and deeper into the water, and scraped across endless amounts of piercing rocks.

**-x-**

**Logan's POV**

"Help her!" I screamed, shoving them off of me. But it was too late, and just as I stood up to chase after her flailing body, it disappeared off the falls.

I stopped in space. I have never felt more defeated in my entire life.

**Tracy's POV**

I swore, along with Brooke. But Logan just stood, completely shocked.

"What do…what do we do…?" I was scared too, and I pulled my fingers through my hair, and covered my forehead with my palms.

"What the fuck do you think we do!" Logan suddenly snapped out of it, "We get help!" she shoved through me and Brooke, and headed for the forest.

I looked at Brooke, and her eyes were watering.

"She's right. We can't get down there. Let's go find someone…" I touched her arm as I walked by her, and went to chase after Logan.

**Brooke's POV**

I stared at the falls, which pounded on and on, not even realizing that they probably just took a life.

"Dude, go with them. I know my way, I'll go down and see if there might have been a chance-" Jenny tried to show me the brighter side, but I was done with people trying to sugar coat my world for me.

"Don't waste your time." I turned and left her standing there alone.

I felt terrible as I streaked through the woods, catching glimpses of Logan and Tracy ahead of me.

It's true; _life sucks, and then you die._

**Jenny's POV**

_What am I doing…? _I jumped down along the rocky cliff of the falls when I was sure no one was around to witness this inhuman ability. When I reached the bottom, I jumped into the choppy waters, and searched for Bella's battered body.

_There might still be a chance…whoa wait…why do I care? _I barely knew this girl, and I was hoping for her to be alive. Why was that?

I continued to swim under the water, darting my vision through the cloudy water for this insanely brave girl.

Bella was different- like me. I'm good at reading people, and she has something about her that makes her wiser beyond her years. And she was one-hundred percent right about me…

_If I could just find her…_

I burst through the surface as the river was coming to its calmer bits, and suddenly, it was completely calm- and that's where I found Bella, stuck in between two large rocks, completely tattered looking.

_Jesus…_I swam over to her, and gasped at her face.

She was unconscious, and I couldn't hear her breathing. Her face was bloody, with huge gashes across her forehead, and along her cheek bones- which were nearly popping out of her skin.

I cut off my breathing when I realized I hadn't hunted in awhile, and eating her right now wouldn't solve anything.

I tried to lift her carefully from the rocks, but she was jammed in between them, and she wasn't coming out of them without a fight.

I sighed. _Sorry dude…_I ripped her hard out of the rocks, hearing a pop. When I lifted her up, and carried her to the shore, I noticed her loose arm, disconnected from its socket. _Whoops…_

That wasn't the worst of it. A bone in her shin was poking through her translucent skin, and the blood wouldn't stop coming- or was it pouring from her rib cage? Her shirt was stained pink and red, and I was shaking to keep my control.

I didn't know what to do, and it only seemed right to check for a pulse- but I couldn't find it. Was it my lack of knowledge that I couldn't find it, or was there not even one to begin with?

I sighed out of relief when the slightest thump was felt on my two fingers, just below her bloody neck. _A pulse…thank God._

I stupidly began to shake her, not knowing what else to do. Maybe she could hear me.

"Bella, it's me Jenny. Are you okay?" I shook her good arm, but there was no response.

I stopped, and stared at her nearly lifeless body. It would only take minutes for her to die without oxygen, or be drained of blood…_humans are so fragile._

That's when something clicked in my head. _It didn't have to be that way…_

My eyes traced over her purple lids, her purple lips, and her translucent skin, and I remembered a time a year and a half ago when a vampire would have taken the plunge with me…

I never knew why he did it- until today. _A life for a life._

Slowly, I leaned towards Bella's neck, and I knew my time was limited if I wanted to do what I was about to do. I needed to do it…_for her sake_.

_Screw it._ I tilted her head back, opened my mouth into a snarl, and dug my teeth into her neck. She tasted like nothing I could imagine, and I had to remember why I was doing this to make myself stop. After fifteen seconds of trying to convince myself that killing her wasn't the answer, I yanked my teeth out of her neck, and threw myself away from her.

She laid perfectly still, with a visible bite mark on her neck. It was now up to her to decide which way she wanted to go.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

Suddenly I wasn't alone in the blackness. A sharp pain shocked my body, but I was still too weak to push through it, and force myself to wake up.

At first, this pain was like a prick. But it slowly built into something I couldn't explain. It felt like I was burning around my neck, and then it spread into my chest, and down through my arms, abdomen, legs, and feet.

But I felt paralyzed, and I couldn't cringe from the pain. Ignoring it wasn't an option, because it was the center of my universe right now, and I had no idea why drowning hurt so much.

I tried to suck it up, and think about how I had saved Karen from this pain…but honestly…that meant nothing right now. I just wanted to hurry up and die. Death was easy compared to this.

**-x-**

_**Three days later…**_

Like my life, death apparently wasn't going to be easy. I couldn't keep track of the time; all I could concentrate on was the crippling pain. The burning sensation throughout my body had increased to an unbearable amount. I was screaming on the inside, and it felt like lava was flowing through my veins, and my heart was going to burst.

But instead of bursting, it picked up pace, and the beating was pounding through my chest. It was screaming to rip through my rib cage, and I wanted nothing more than to rip open my skin, dig down into my body, and tear it out.

Suddenly though, that wasn't an option. Because just as I thought death was going to come, my heart took one last thud. The pain slowly subsided, and everything went quiet.

My eyes snapped open to the most beautiful sunset. It was so clear, and colourful, and I had never seen anything like it. My eyes traced over my surroundings, and like the sunset, the trees were clearer, and I could see every detail. Then I scanned over the river, and I remembered everything that happened…and how I should be dead…

I looked at my body, and not a scratch was on me. My skin was perfectly white, and only my ripped up bloody clothes showed proof that there was ever anything wrong.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me, and I flipped over onto my stomach, and into a crouch in less than half a second.

"Jenny…" I said surprised. But I was more surprised by the sound of my voice, and how it almost sounded clearer, less raspy, and…musical?

"Strange, isn't it?" she took a seat down on the rocky ledge, and I became aware of my strange, crouched position. I pulled out of it quickly- too quickly- and stood up straight like a board.

"Why would I feel strange?" I asked with my new voice. But Jenny was right, I did feel strange. I felt like I could run a mile, I felt light on my feet, I felt like- whoa, was I not breathing?

I grabbed onto my throat and took in a breath, but it felt odd, and it tasted like forest, and dirt.

My eyes darted over to Jenny, looking for answers, but she just sighed and stared up over at the falls.

"What happened to me…?" I whispered, still frightened of how I sounded, and why I was fine- better than fine. I felt bloody fantastic.

"I saved you. I've given you a second chance at life." Her eyes turned back to mine, and she darted quickly to stand two inches away from my face.

I didn't know what she was saying.

"Come on. I see you're confused. I'm excellent at reading people. Now tell me how you feel!" she shoved me, and normally I would have fallen to the ground, but I stayed in a solid position.

"I feel perfect….why…why is that?" my voice shook, and I looked at my hands, which were slightly shaking.

"That's because you are. Welcome to the club."

Then it clicked. The pain…the burning sensation…it all made sense.

_I'm a vampire...? A vampire. A vampire! _

"Shocked?" Jenny took a step away from me, and looked me up and down.

I nodded, too scared to hear my own voice, and too scared to admit that I was a vampire to her. All I could do was stare.

"You have the stillness down to an art. Now you'll just need to work on movement," she laughed, pushing her hands into her cargo shorts.

I snapped out of it, and took a step. Motion felt weird and too easy for me.

I made eye contact with Jenny, and the reality of what I now was sunk in. I grinned at her. "I told you I knew what you were…" I shook my head in disbelief at what I now was, and how this changed _everything_.

"Yeah well, now you're what I am. You should be grateful too. It was that or death. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this _is_ what you wanted…"

I thought about becoming a vampire once a long time ago, when I was in love, and wanted to spend the rest of my life with Edward. But not until yesterday had I really thought about it again, and I _did_ want to become one. It was a way to start living my life, even if I wasn't technically living now.

"Fuck yes!." I screeched, jumping up and down. I looked around at the falls, and thanked my lucky stars that they didn't have the guts to completely kill me. I needed to become a vampire. I needed this second chance…

"Well good." Jenny began to walk up the steep ledge of the cliff, and I followed closely behind her.

It was easy to pull myself up the rocks, and I wasn't out of breath because there wasn't any breath to be out of.

"Jenny?" I called her name when we reached the top, and turned to cock her eyebrow at me. I sighed, and smiled at her genuinely. "Thanks."

She stared at me for half a second, shrugged, and then turned to keep walking. But I heard her lowly say "No, thank _you_." under her breath.

I couldn't stop grinning as I thought about the possibilities my life now had. I could do anything I wanted, and have no repercussions of hurting myself, or getting into trouble. Besides the slight aching in the back of my throat, I felt bloody fantastic, and there was no coming down from it.

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**A/N: Happy Mothers Day!**


	36. Shut Down

**Refresher: **Bella saved Karen from drowning, but couldn't save herself from the falls. She is nearly killed. The girls think she is dead, and go back to the camp to tell the camp workers, all the while Bella is being changed into a vampire by Jenny- which saves her life.

**A/N: **Just to let you know, this chapter is sort of a filler. It's to get the facts out there, and the next chapter is where the fun begins.

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Chapter 36: Shut Down

**Edward's POV**

It's been over 72 agonizing hours since the camp discovered Bella and the girl's disappearance, thirty seconds since the girls stumbled back into camp from a helicopter, and half a second to realize Bella was not behind their sobbing bodies.

"Girls!" Sharon yelled, racing over to the four stammering girls, who fell to the ground the moment they tried to tell their own sides of the story.

But I saw what had happened through their faces, their eyes…and what had me sprinting off into the forest before anyone could notice; the visions and images flying through their minds.

They were all different; some showed Bella jumping into the river, some focused in on her struggle with the rapids of the water, and another one showed her brave eyes, throwing Logan to safety. But all the visions had the same ending; Bella's body disappearing over the jagged edges of a terrifying water fall.

A snarl ripped through my throat as I jumped over an overturned tree, unable to move my legs fast enough.

_She's not dead. You would know if she were dead…she's alive…she's alive…_

My jaw was tight, and my teeth were clenched as I tried to erase the images of Bella's limp body falling over the falls. But I couldn't shake my mind of it; I needed the vision of the river in order to find her. If I hadn't have been an idiot, and left hours ago for Bella, I wouldn't be running blind, without any clue where the hell her scent went to.

Anger pumped through my bloodless veins, and it triggered the utmost hatred for myself, and I couldn't bring myself to think about what I would do if…if…

_Hold on Bella…hold on…_

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

Unlike Edward, I stayed behind to get the facts. Plus, I wasn't a mind reader, and I still had no clue what was going on.

"Calm down! Take a breath, and someone for Christ's sake tell me what the hell happened, and where Miss Swan is!" Sharon was leaning over the panting girls, whose faces were streaked with mud, tears, and guilt.

"It was my fault! I fell in! It was so stupid!" Logan collapsed into her own palms, and her body shook violently from the screams of emotion coming from her mouth.

If this situation wasn't as serious, I would have snickered at the broken down girls. But I wasn't dumb; something terrible had happened, and judging from the frozen look that Edward had before he sprinted off into the forest, it was about Bella.

"Someone please!" Sharon screamed at the top of her lungs, "Where's Bella!"

I stared at the sobbing girls, and finally, the quiet one with dark shorter length hair tried to choke out her side of the story.

"She saved Logan from going over the falls of the river…" She began to cry when she heard Brooke gasp out in pain, and Logan had gone completely still on the ground, almost paralyzed from shock. "She couldn't save herself though…" her shoulders shook as she attempted to close her mouth to hold in the choking sound coming from her throat, but she couldn't fool anyone. She gave up, and let herself join in with the other recklessly crying girls.

I was beside myself at the moment. This wasn't happening, this had to be some sort of sick nightmare. Everything was a lie, and Bella would run out of the forest, the whole time playing a nasty prank on us.

But I knew better than that. I wasn't waking up because I was already awake.

Sharon tried to calm the girls down, and she didn't notice me slip away from the talking circle, and walk off. I couldn't stay and listen to the girls.

Bella was dead. Bella _is dead._

Tears were brimming under my eyes, and I swore under my breath when my left eye brimmed over, and salt water spilled down my hot cheek.

"Fuck my life…" I whispered, yanking my hands through my hair. I hadn't even realized I had made it all the way to the mess hall until Guy grabbed hold of my arm, and asked me what my problem was.

I tried to shove his hold on my arm off of me, but he quickly realized I was extremely upset, and he grabbed onto my other one to force me to look at him.

I stared into his blank eyes, and I let my tears spill aimlessly over my angry set face.

"Jacob Black, what's wrong?" his voice was harsh, but quiet, and I could tell he was getting impatient with me when I looked away from his gaze, so he shook me a little.

"Oh Bella's just dead." I clenched my back teeth together to keep my voice from shaking after, and when he held my arms tighter, I used all my werewolf strength to shove him away from me. He fell onto the ground, and next thing I knew I was kicking him, and trying to get him to fight me back.

But he was better than me, and he didn't fight back; which set me over the edge. I knew I was about to burst when my lower lip quivered, and I had to get away when I felt the vibrations running down my spine, and my vision slightly blurred.

I made a beeline for the forest, and when I was safely hidden behind the canopy of the trees, I was running on four feet, and panting wildly.

**-x-**

**Guy's POV**

I didn't follow the boy. He needed to blow off some steam, and I knew he wasn't a serious threat to himself or any other residents. He was a teenager, and any changes in pattern, schedule, or bump in the road made them overreact.

But he might not have been overreacting.

_Bella dead? _Larry suddenly opened the mess hall door, and I ran up the stairs before he could go hideout from his mistakes. I shoved him against the mess hall, and tugged his filthy blue shirt into my fists, until I heard it tear.

"Tell me what the _fuck_ is going on!" I growled. For his sake, he needed to start talking. I didn't want to kill him, but if I slightly tightened my hold on his neck _a bit _too tightly, I'm sure no one would hold it against me. No, I _know_ no one would hold it against me.

"I don't know anything. I just got a call from Sharon over the walkie to get down to the fire pit. The helicopter just brought back some girls, but I only know as much as you do!" his eyes were wide with panic, pleading with me to give him a second chance, and let him go.

I swore under my breath, and unfortunately let his ass go. Not until I heard him slur something beneath his breath, and it had him back in the same spot within two seconds.

"Listen! This is your entire fault to begin with! You should have called the helicopters sooner instead of sending them out just hours ago, and now you're hiding up here like you don't know what's up from down!" my voice roared into his face, and I couldn't hold myself back when he looked at me like he didn't even care.

My fist broke into the skin of his cheek with a loud thud, and then my knee sunk into his stomach for a low blow. He was curled over on the ground, and I could hear him sobbing like a cowardly wimp.

I stepped over him, and headed for a phone. This situation had gotten way out of hand, and it was beyond our limits now. People higher than us needed to be notified, and a bunch of angry parents needed to be too. Because one thing was for sure, today was the last day Camp Archstone would have it's doors open- especially if I had any say in the matter.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I would find her scent and lose it again. Over and over…

I was losing time, and my temper was through the roof. I even found myself screaming her name at the top of my lungs, and then sprinting harder into the woods, praying to any gods in the sky for her to pop up safe.

Her scent had been all over the place, and the forest was filled with so many strange smells that I couldn't pick hers out from the different ones.

_God I don't even know her scent!_

I found it again, and prayed it would show me the way to the river. And after ten minutes of sprinting hard along it, I heard the solid hammering of the dreaded river.

Somehow, my pace quickened, and the moment I saw the river, I cringed at it's size. Bella's scent was near the right side, but it disappeared suddenly, and I knew that's where she must have fallen in.

I jumped into the river the moment I lost her scent, and my body went rigid from the sight of the riverbed; it was jagged, rocky, and thankfully didn't link any sign of Bella on it.

_How can I even think like that…_

I jumped out of the river when I came near the waterfall; it was incredibly steep, and the power of the water was tremendous. _If someone survived a fall like that…it would be a miracle._

I shook my head to try and rid my pessimistic view, but I was angry, and emotional, and I could no longer find her scent. The water had washed it away…just like her body…_no! Stop it!_

Down past the falls, the water was calmer. I searched through the water, and along the river's edge for any sign that Bella may have been here- and that's when the scent hit me.

It was definitely Bella's scent, but then again, it definitely wasn't. It was too sweet, and mixed with another unfamiliar scent from the forest. But I was hopeful, because this meant she had survived the falls, and she was out of the water.

Where exactly? That was beyond me.

**-x-**

I made it back to camp even before my absence was missed.

Like myself, Jake looked and felt terrible. He didn't acknowledge me when I came into our cabin, and he couldn't stop thinking about…well…_her._

"Dude did you hear?" Landon asked from his bunk.

"Of course I heard. She was my bloody girlfriend for Christ sake, and she's going to be fine!" I tried not to rip apart the cabin as I screamed, but I managed to make the other boys flinch from my volume.

I didn't know who I was trying to convince. I knew she was okay…she _had_ to be…

"No, I mean about the camp. It's closing. Our parents are on their way here." He whispered.

My head snapped up, and I cursed. "Well they better find Bella first. We need to get more people out there, and the helicopters aren't flying low enough, I saw them as I was-"

"Will you shut it!" Jacob suddenly screamed out of nowhere. "She wasn't your girlfriend, and she hated being around this place. Be glad she went out in glory."

_Went out?_ No. She isn't dead. I wouldn't believe it. I had evidence; her scent was proof enough.

I couldn't stay in the cabin. My rage would plough the cabin to the ground. I needed to get out and try looking for her again. I would never stop looking for her until I found Bella _alive_.

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-x-


	37. Cloud 9 point 2

**Refresher:** The girls are air lifted out of the forest by a helicopter a few days later, minus Bella. Edward freaks, and goes to look for her, but by this time she is already turned into a vampire, and not around the river. The decision to shut down the camp is also made.

**A/N: **Okay this chapter is long, and I'm trying to get information out there so that we can start having some fun with the chapters. The next few chapters should be fun and exciting. I can't wait!

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Chapter 37: Cloud 9.2

_**7 months later…**_

**Edward's POV**

I had promised myself I would never give up on Bella. Within the first couple hours of searching for her back at camp, I had made this promise…little did I know I'd be back in Forks, seven months later, minus Bella at my side.

It's been a long and treacherous road. I don't know when the hours turned into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months…but it slowly crawled up on me. And eventually, a monthly visit at Charlie Swan's was turned into a routine

That's what brought me here today. It was the first of the month, and I was ready to hear some updates in the search for anything Bella related. I crossed my fingers for good news, but I always expected the same results as the previous; zero sightings, and no evidence of Bella ever even existing.

Charlie looked like hell when he opened the door. It was expected. His only daughter was gone, and even though he didn't voice it out loud, he expected the worse. He knew seven months was a long time to hope…

I wasn't looking at it like that. I decided to remember the positives. Like finding what I'm pretty sure was her scent beside the bottom of the river. That had to be good for something…

The house didn't have the same feel to it anymore. It seemed darker, and almost colder, and Charlie gave up on keeping it together. The kitchen curtains were closed, and only a slit of light shined through into the sink, which was full of dirty dishes and empty cans of beer.

"Edward." Charlie nodded, and turned his back to me to sit on the couch. He stared aimlessly at a baseball game, but his mind wasn't interested. He was thinking about the last time he and Bella actually had a sit down conversation where they weren't at each other's throats. Nothing came to him…

Our visit was usually quick and quiet. If there was something to be said, it was said, and that was that. But the last couple visits, Charlie didn't do any talking, and he just let me wander the house. My first stop was always to stare at the bulletin board he had set up, which was completely full of newspaper clippings on Bella, and any piece of information he could find on her. But lately, it remained the same, and there was really no reason to remind myself that I had let her slip out of my fingers.

But I did anyway.

I stared into the same picture I always did. It was taken from the newspaper, and it was Bella's most recent high school picture. Her hair was from before she had chopped and dyed it. It lay neatly on her shoulders, and it was the darkest brown, just like her eyes. The best part of the picture was her smile. She was grinning mischievously, and it looked like the photographer had said something dumb. It was a genuine, full of life smile…

I had taken that away from her. And I wasn't sure if I would ever see it again.

I stopped reading the same articles over and over again. They did little to cheer me up, and I didn't need to be reminded of what had gone wrong seven months ago. But the headlines always shot out at me. They painted Bella in such a negative way, as if it was all a stunt by her; I don't know why Charlie bothered hanging them up.

Local Rebel's Disappearing Act or Forks Wild Child Up to No Good? were a couple that stuck out. I mostly ignored it, and knew this wasn't some wild prank. She might still be out there, needing us…but then again…Bella was like that, and I could see her skipping out of coming back. It was still something I was hoping for in the back of my head...

Alice had taken the news incredibly hard. She didn't see anything coming through any visions, but then again, she never saw anything about Bella in her visions anymore. It was unexplainable, and even though nobody came right out and said it, they were thinking the worst might have happened.

I sighed and crept away to the second level of Bella's small home. The hallway was short, with Charlie's room at one end of the hall, and Bella's at the other. Her room door remained closed, and it made the same old creak as I opened it.

The curtains were drawn, which gave some much needed light to the room. Everything was the same since I had seen it last; the computer was to the left of her window, a rocking chair on the right of it, and her bed, which was neatly maid, was against the back wall.

I took one step in, and inhaled. Her room barely even smelled like her anymore…it really did have the life sucked out of it.

After examining the contents of her room from the door, I took one last breath in, and stepped out before shutting the door behind me. At this point, I had had enough, and I left the Swan residence without even saying goodbye to Charlie.

**-x-**

**Jacob's POV**

I went to school. Got good grades. Came home from school. Watched TV. Ate. Went to bed.

My new life minus Bella was miserable. It was so much more fun staying out with her, riding bikes, and sneaking into the movies on Friday nights to heckle the crowd. But I didn't want to do any of that anymore; I wasn't doing that alone, and she was irreplaceable.

The only thing left was a basic routine with no hobbies, and zero fun. Not unless for some miracle she showed up on my doorstep one day…but that wasn't happening.

Edward was beyond losing it though. He was still holding on for her. He had convinced himself she was still out there, but if he really believed that, why wasn't he out there looking for her this very moment? He's lying to himself, because everyone knows lies are much easier to swallow than the truth.

I sighed lowly, lying perfectly still in the center of my mattress.

It was probably past lunch time, but I didn't feel like getting up out of bed. Weekends were the death of me. I didn't need to be reminded that life sucked.

My doorbell suddenly rang, and I heard Dad grumble at our guest, knowing instantly who that was. The door to my bedroom slowly creaked open, and I didn't even bother turning over to face him.

"Jacob, how's it going?" Edward asked. I shrugged my shoulder, knowing he would get what that meant.

Billy and the rest of the pack had dropped borderlines for him, and only him, just recently. They knew I was feeling blue, and they thought he of all people could understand why. Every once and awhile he would visit.

I flipped onto my back and watched him walk across my room to go and stare at the same wall he always stared at. Tons of pictures were tapped and pinned onto that single wall, most of them being of Bella and I doing stupid things.

"You're so lucky to have seen this side of her…" he whispered. He pulled a picture from it's taped position, and he didn't rip his gaze from it. It was of Bella on her bike, grinning hugely as she started up her brand new Kawasaki for the first time.

"Like I said before, you can take whatever pictures you want…" I grumbled.

He nodded, and folded that one picture into his leather coat pocket, and turned to look at me.

"Alice still can't see anything clearly," he sighed, crossing his arms, and going to lean on the doorframe. "But most recently, if she focuses hard enough, she gets blotches of her…but we're pretty sure it's just of from before…well…you know…"

I nodded. This was nothing new. No one knew anything on Bella. Same shit, different day…

"I still think there's reason to believe she's out there…" he said lowly.

I held back from throwing his words back in his face, and nodded. But I knew this wasn't true. seven months is too long-

"Seven months isn't that long. She's out there!" he slammed his fist into my wall, and it went right through to the other side. He shook his head, and I covered my face just thinking about her.

"Whatever dude. We've been over this. I just want to be alone. If anything new happens, just call next time…" I pulled my hands away from my face and his face was back to being composed, and he nodded.

"Okay.," he turned to leave, but stopped suddenly. "Um…sorry about the wall Jacob…"

"It's fine."

**-x-**

**Charlie's POV**

Most recently, instead of thinking about how terrible of a father I had been, I dove into work. It was a distraction that I needed, and it felt good to know that I could at least be helping someone out there. _Too bad it couldn't have been Bella…_

I blinked away the tears in my eyes, and told myself to snap out of it. I needed to do my work, and I had tons of e-mails from other police stations across the state. Apparently a dynamic duo was cutting across America, and had finally hit this state. Forks was potentially next in line, and we needed to be on the lookout.

The two were known as a modern day Bonnie & Clyde, although, we knew nothing about their genders or physical appearance. We just knew they specialized in breaking and entering, and like Bonnie and Clyde, they worked well together. Not one slip up yet; just blurry video tapes, and missing merchandise.

_Pros_, evidently. But we were ready for them. In a couple cities over, a dealership had just reported two stolen Corvettes, and hours later they were found dumped in a pond about a couple towns away from here. The same thing happened not even a couple hours ago, and the cars were dumped over a bridge. The two got away.

From the looks of it, they were hell raisers, or thrill seekers, and were not doing the dirty deeds for the money, but just for the fun of it. Crimes like this were still taken just as seriously as any other, but they sure did waste our valuable time.

_Oh well…I have all the time in the world now._

My shoulders flinched when the phone in the kitchen started to ring. I sighed and stood up from my laptop on the kitchen table, and answered it on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" I said lowly into the phone.

No one said anything back.

I hung up.

This was the third time today it had happened, and the tenth time this week. Someone was messing with me. That or some old lady clearly didn't know how to dial a phone.

I stared at the kitchen. It was a disaster. But it was staying like that for now because I don't do the dishes.

What was I waiting for? Bella to come home and do them for me?

I swore and picked up a pan and threw it against the fridge. It dented the already scraped up fridge, and a magnet holding a picture fell to the floor.

I stared at the picture of Bella while I leaned on the counter.

Her eyes were staring into mine. They were bright and full of life…and I was the one who took that away from her. I sent her to camp, when she could have been safely at home…

My shoulders started to shake from the dry sobs coming from my chest. But I didn't let them escape.

I was going to be strong for Bella.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I feel like I'm higher than cloud 9…like cloud 9.2 or something. I didn't know that it was possible until I met Jenny. She made life fun because she went along with my plans.

7 months ago I didn't know where I was headed in life, and now being a vampire I still don't, but its showed me that some people don't have destinations in life- and I'm one of those people.

I like living on the edge, and ever since I left that stupid Camp in Oregon, and hid my existence from the world, I can finally come out and be free.

I put the money in the payphone, and quickly dialled Charlie's number. He answered on the fourth try, and I swore in my head.

"He answered, and then hung up," I leaned casually on the pay phone, and stared at Jenny, who was contemplating.

We had been calling Charlie all week, trying to find a day when he wasn't at home so I could get back and rummage through my old shit.

"I thought you said your Dad works during the day?"

"He usually does. He was never the stay at home Dad type. Maybe he's trying his hand at it now, or maybe he's an alcoholic, or maybe he designs WebPages from an at home business, or maybe-" Jenny cut me off from my senseless jabbering.

"Or maybe you're Dad misses you, and can't even manage to get out of bed anymore?" she walked away from me, and I followed behind her.

_Doubt it_…our phone is in the kitchen. He wouldn't get out of bed just to answer it…

"God I hate this town. It's so hickish, and flowery, and happy. It makes me sick" Jenny growled, glancing into shop windows. She wasn't impressed. Why would she be? Compared to the places we've seen, this place was the shits.

We had been in Seattle for approximately 10 hours, and already I was sick of it. I wanted to find something crazy to do. I needed to break something, or get the adrenaline in my new vampire body up. That was the beauty of being a vampire and having the motto _Live free or Die Hard_; you never had to do the latter. We had been traveling for some time, stopping here and there, causing havoc there, and then we were off again. It was truly the only way to live.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jenny shoved me into a store, and I had to grab onto a shelf of books to keep from falling- that didn't keep the shelf from breaking. I heard wood shatter, and the huge shelf instantly crumbled like a twig snapping in half.

I swore at Jenny, and ran out of the store before the store clerk could get a look at my face, and make me pay for ruining a bunch of stupid books.

"Look at you; you're as white as a ghost! Scared much?" Jenny laughed, and she shoved me playfully again, but this time I was ready, and I shoved her with my newborn strength- right into an oncoming car.

I knew Jenny could have gotten out of the way, but she decided to scare the poor old lady driving, and next thing I knew, a volts wagon was smashing Jenny. Of course she exaggerated the hit, throwing herself up and over the car, and landing on her side on the pavement.

The car screeched to a stop, and I leaned on an outside wall of a shop to watch the shit go down. It was really a classic prank.

The old lady was already out of her car, and removing her huge wrap around black sun goggles, which looked like they could be protect her from UV 1000. She stood perfectly still beside the driver side of her car, and stared at Jenny, who was still playing dead on the pavement.

But the old lady knew she couldn't leave; there was already a crowd, and I was watching too…

"Miss, are you okay?" she said lowly, moving an inch closer to the scene.

I rolled my eyes. Yes, that's what you say to someone you just hit with your car…

I grinned when I knew what part of the trick was coming up, and I pushed myself off the wall to continue walking. _3…2…1…_

Jenny suddenly stood up nonchalantly, and walked back over onto the sidewalk to catch up to me. I looked back at the old lady and the crowd that had formed. All the people were covering their mouths, and pointing at the ruined car, and then staring at Jenny's unharmed body.

"You've got to stop doing that…we already get too much publicity as it is," we turned a corner and I recognized the restaurant Edward had taken me to a lifetime ago.

_Edward._ Another reason we shouldn't be this close to Forks. He was probably still moping around, and I wasn't ready to have my fun ruined. I knew I'd see him eventually, but I wanted to hold it off; maybe in the next ten years or more I might get enough courage to say hi.

"Oh don't give me that Bella. You're the one who keeps getting us caught. You've set off every motion detector in every dealership we've broken into!" Jenny argued.

She was right. I still wasn't used to my vampire body. The strength was a plus, and so was the speed, but I still couldn't pull off tricking those damn motion detectors in the stores. They were tricky…

Not to mention being around humans was making me nervous. Sure, for some reason I had adapted quickly, and was able to come out of hiding within a month, but there were still times when I had to hold my breath to not eat the next kid walking by.

"Eww look at those guys over there staring at us…sick," Jenny gave the two teenagers walking across the street the middle finger, and started cussing under her breath. "We shouldn't be out in public, especially so close to your hometown. You'll get recognized."

I laughed. "Oh please, anyone would have to squint to recognize this face." I touched the side of my cheek, and my skin felt cool under my fingertips.

I was completely different now. My face had thinned out a bit, my natural blush was gone, and I was given an incredible body. I swear I even grew a couple inches. Or maybe it was my full of body, brown hair, or the shoes I was wearing…

"Famous last words…" Jenny said under her breath. I ignored her. _Why did I take her along?_

It was my idea to travel. She didn't even want to leave her precious forest, but there was no way in hell I was staying cooped up with superhero strength and the power to do whatever I wanted and not get in trouble. We had been to Greenland, Alaska, Canada, and all throughout the States so far, just stealing fast cars, and breaking laws that didn't exist in my book.

"I can't believe they're having a memorial rock put in the park for me…" I laughed when Jenny grinned. "How lame does it get?"

I had read every single article about myself in the paper over the past couple months, and nothing they wrote about me seemed to surprise me. But when I came across an article about an upcoming ceremony for me…_priceless._

"We're going to it right? The memorial ceremony at least!" she whined, but I was already shaking my head no.

"Yeah, that'd be great…Charlie would probably die, and then kill me for faking my own death."

"You didn't really fake it. It happened, I think…" she crossed the road, and I followed her over to another pay phone. "Here, try your Dad's place now. See if he's gone now."

I picked up the phone, dropped in the money, and leaned on the street lamp while Jenny dialled the number. The dial tone rang on and on, and it definitely seemed like Charlie was out of the house finally.

I hung up the phone. "About fucking time. We probably only have a couple hours, so let's go."

**-x-**

When we entered Forks, a slight chill ran down my spine. The way it looked…how everything was exactly the same made me cringe. I guess I was the only thing that had changed these past couple months.

My house was even the same. It was still crappy, still falling apart, and still didn't hold my interest. I just needed what was _inside _of it, and then we were good to go.

"You stay here," I told Jenny, who idled on the driveway. I sprinted towards my window, and jumped up onto the side of the house, careful to only slide the window open and not break it.

Everything about my room was the same. The ugly color, the lame curtains, and even the bedding…which was too neat at the moment.

I walked over and sat down on the bed, and stared at my closet. It had several of my favourite clothes; my faded, plaid button down shirt, my ripped up jeans, and my tattered navy hoodie.

I stood up and snatched those items from the closet, and then opened up my sock drawer. I grinned when I saw my ex-best friend lying beneath one of my socks.

_Crack…long time no see._ I shoved it aside, and went for the real prize and glory…the main reason for coming back to Forks.

I snatched up my iPod and smiled when I turned it on. All two thousand of my songs were still there, and I grinned when a lame Jonas Brothers song came on.

_God…the Jonas Brothers…_

Suddenly, something didn't seem right, and I was sure I heard a movement from downstairs…and then the sound of the TV channels flicking.

_Fuck! He's been home this whole time!_ I grabbed my old schoolbag, and shoved my items into it, and jumped from my bedroom window.

Jenny was outside leaning on my dad's cruiser, her eyes wide.

"He just came home. What took you so long!" she growled. "Were you off in La La Land or something?"

I wasn't sure. Maybe I had been. I didn't even hear his car come in.

"Whatever, let's get the fuck out of here. I feel like your boyfriend is going to show up any minute."

_Yes _I had told Jenny about Edward, and _yes_ she thought I should reconcile with him…as lame as that was. I didn't have time though. I was too busy ruling the world.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

But I froze when I saw the garage, and nearly died when I saw what was chained up outside of it.

_My bike…!_

"Jenny! That's my motorcycle I was telling you about! We have-"

"No come on! We have to get going. He's home! Come back tomorrow…" she moaned.

I couldn't believe it. Charlie had been bluffing about getting rid of my bike…

I grinned to myself. We would definitely be coming back for it; because there was no way in hell that puppy was staying in Forks.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

It was morning, and the day of the stupid memorial. I wasn't going because it was the icing on the cake for the town agreeing that Bella was dead. And I didn't believe that.

I just needed to tell Charlie this, and try not to insult his daughter's memory in doing so.

I knocked on the door, and he opened it. He had on a dark button down shirt, with dark jeans, and a tie. It matched his confused look on his face.

"Hi Edward," he opened the door wider so I could step in. "Why aren't you at the memorial yet? I thought you would have been there already."

"I know…it's just that…I'm not sure if I'm going to go. I just don't think that-"

"Hey it's your choice," he walked into the kitchen and started looking at his e-mails on his laptop. He was stressed out about some recent crime in the area, and I was glad that at least he wasn't focusing on Bella too much.

"Okay, I just wanted to let you know…" I shoved my hands into my jean pockets, and stared at him. He was completely ignoring me.

"Oh Edward, I forgot to tell you yesterday…if there's anything you want of Bella's…" he trailed off when my eyes widened.

"But it's hers. She'll probably get mad if you start giving away her stuff."

He nodded. "I guess. Well if you see anything you would like, you can borrow it until…well…whatever." He was trying to humour me, and I chose to play along.

I headed up the stairs to her room, and opened the door just like I always did- but a shock ran through my body when her scent hit me harder than it normally did.

I grabbed onto the doorframe to steady myself, and I had to blink to try and clear my head from the strong scent of freesia and…something else sweet.

My mind was in a furry of questions into what was going on, and then I saw the window.

_Someone had been in here…_I walked over to the window, and pushed it back down. My mind was racing, and I couldn't come up with a clear thought with so much of Bella's scent blowing around me.

My breath caught when I noticed her closet…and it's missing items. Some of her favourite old clothes were gone. Had Charlie claimed those items already?

I shook my head and was about to leave when I noticed the bed. An imprint was left on the foot of the comforter, and when I leaned in closer, the scent coming off of it nearly knocked me off my feet. It was the strongest scent of Bella mixed with something else that had my mind in a whirl.

_What was going on…?_

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

Jenny was getting restless in the small town atmosphere. She was complaining constantly, and hated knowing that people could recognize me any second. I tried to reassure her that everything was fine.

"Jenny, don't start with this. It's cool. The town thinks I'm dead." I tried to calm her down, and get her to stop yelling at me. Eyes were wondering over to look at us, and I grabbed her arm to cross the street, away from the local laundry mat, and towards a café.

But that's when I should have swallowed my words…because as soon as I saw the dark haired, curvy girl walk out of the café, with a donut in tow, I stopped in place.

Karen's eyes widened at the sight of me, and I put a finger to my mouth, and gave her a look with my eyes that pleaded with her to keep her mouth shut about me. She dropped her donut, and I grabbed onto Jenny and ran off.

"What can you say about that! See! I told you!" she shoved me into a near alleyway, and I was panicking all the sudden. Karen had seen me…

"You know what Jenny, you can leave if you want! I'm not forcing you to stay here."

Jenny stared at me for a few seconds, and then she made up her mind. "Fine. I'm out of this town. Maybe I'll meet up with you later when you finish tormenting the people around you."

She left the alley, and I was left alone. I didn't like that feeling, or that's probably why I chose to chase after her. But as I was leaving the alleyway, who did I bump into?

"Karen." I grabbed onto her wrist, and pulled her into the alley when her eyes bulged hugely.

"Bella…" tears were forming in her eyes, and her arms were suddenly hugging me. I suddenly forgot about Jenny, and memories of Camp Archstone that I had thought were lost came back to me.

This was the girl who fought me over everything, terrorized me into isolation, and had a spot next to me on a rope and stake. This was the girl who dared me to skinny dip, who nearly drowned me, and who forced me to be brave when the goings got tough. She was my best friend in a way…

"You can't tell anyone I'm alive!" I whispered harshly over her dry sobs. She ignored me and squeezed me ever tighter.

"How is this even possible! You look amazing!" she wiped the tears from her eyes when she finally pulled away from me, and I stared into her eyes. She was exactly the same as ever.

"I know. I survived the fall, but I decided not to let anyone know-"

"Oh my god the papers were right! When you first disappeared there was a whole conspiracy theory saying you were alive, and that you were just waiting it out until you could come out of hiding."

I nodded. "Yeah I read that somewhere…" I guess the papers were right…in a way.

"But your Dad was furious. He wrote into the Herald and demanded an apology for writing such absurd ideas into the headlines. Now everyone does believe that there was an accident…but god…who knew…"

I gulped. This was a sticky situation…

"Bella…you little fucker…how can you even do this?" she was grinning though, and for some reason I was grinning as well.

"I know…it's just easier. I like this life."

She nodded. "You're one brave bitch."

I stared at her, and then it hit me. "Whoa. Why are you in my hometown?"

She laughed. "I can ask you the same thing. It's kind of stupid for you to show up here…but I'm glad you did…Bella you saved my life…how can I ever repay you?"

_Oh bud, believe me…you have…_

"Nah. I have everything I need."

"I guess. Well, I'm here for your memorial ceremony. I live a state over, and I flew here by myself just to be here. The girls are meeting me too. Oh Bella, we have to go see-"

"No. We can't tell them about me."

Her face dropped, and she sighed. "You're sure?"

"Yes. No one can know. I have to disappear."

She nodded, and tears began to flow down her cheeks.

I hugged her one last time, and as I left her in the alley, I swear I heard a soft whisper telling me to _Be Safe._

**-x-**

**Alice's POV**

The memorial was nothing special. The town showed up, a ribbon was cut, and now the park was dedicated to Bella. She even had her own rock with a plaque to prove it now. I dragged my family there, and every human was crying, while we stood tall and stared.

Edward had been going on and on about new revolutions surrounding the disappearance of Bella. Apparently her scent was in her room…wow…big revolution. Not.

He was holding onto her too long. Sure, maybe she was out there. But seriously…if she wasn't coming out of hiding…why bother? And maybe she's not hiding. Maybe she is gone…

**Charlie's POV**

"Edward, it was a shame you weren't there. It was actually quite nice." Charlie headed straight for his laptop, and I leaned on the counter, watching him.

"Yes, well you know my position on Bella's _disappearance_," I made sure to accentuate the last word, and he just ignored that.

"Well you didn't have to come by here. I'm fine being alone today. I have a lot of work. There's some trouble headed for our town, that's for sure."

I picked his brain for what he was talking about, and all he was thinking about were two hell-raisers coming across the state. They should be here by now. It was nothing too exciting really.

"Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts." I moved myself from the counter, and that's when the phone rang.

"Oh here we go…not today…" Charlie covered his face, and I could read his thoughts about not wanting to answer it.

"I got it. Not a problem," I walked over to the phone and picked it up on the second ring.

**Bella's POV**

"Swan residence," a smooth voice answered.

My mind went blank when I recognized the voice instantly. _Why was Edward at my place…?_

I could have panicked and hung up the phone, but I decided to screw with him a bit.

"Hey is Bella there?" I asked in a girly high voice.

He sighed. "Umm no. Can I take a message?" he said lowly. _Can I take a message?_ Haha, when are you gonna give it to me?

"Ahhh that depends. Who is this?" I asked. I tried not to laugh, and I couldn't stop grinning. The people on the street walking past the payphone must have thought I was crazy.

"A close friend."

I had to hold back a muffled laugh, and I'm sure he heard it.

"Okay well, you sound really familiar," I told him. "You're just her friend?"

"Yes. And who am I talking to right now?" his voice changed, suddenly serious. It wasn't laid back anymore.

I decided to skip the high girl voice. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." And that's when I hung up.

**Edward's POV**

I held the phone in my hand and looked at Charlie.

"Was it a prank call? They've been calling me all week," his fingers typed over the keys, and he didn't remove his eyes from the screen.

"Yes. Something like that."

**-x-**

"It was Bella. I _know_ it was." I yelled at Alice, who was shaking her head at me.

"You'll believe anything at this point. Edward, she fell over a waterfall!" she yelled back, and when she tried to leave the room, I blocked the door.

"You wouldn't know because you weren't the one talking to her."

"You didn't talk to her either. She's dead. You're holding onto nothing." She shoved through me, and I swore under my breath.

What was I supposed to do? Ignore the evidence? Give up hope? It sure sounded like Bella…sort of. It had to be…

I collapsed down into the coach, and tried to think of a logical explanation for the past two days. I mean, I had even found her scent in her room…but her scent was always in her room…so that sounded stupid telling Alice that- obviously.

I decided not to dwell on it too much. If Bella was out there, and if that was really her on the phone, I'm sure I'd catch a glimpse of her eventually.

I sighed, and picked up the flicker and started flicking through channels. I stopped on the news, which was a report on the two criminals who were apparently already in Forks. The two idiots had even managed to get caught on video surveillance already, and one blurry image of them was flashing across the screen.

They both had on helmets, and were stealing crappy motorcycles from a repair garage.

I hit pause on the Teevoe when I recognized one of the burglars shirts…_an old, plaid button down…_

I stood and moved closer to the screen.

_No. _It couldn't be…

**

* * *

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-x-


	38. Karen Saves The Day

**A/N: **Here's a short and fun chapter. I just love it! Haha.

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Chapter 38: Karen Saves the Day

**Bella's POV**

I held my breath when a teenage boy walked by me. He was attractive, and he even threw in a wink when my eyes widened in shock- not from his looks, but from how good he smelled…

I clenched my teeth, and ran out of Main Street. Small businesses flashed by me, and I scolded myself. _I shouldn't be in the market area…it's always the busiest place in Forks…_

Eventually the crappy paved road forked; one road led straight into more town businesses, the other turned into a dirt road, leading into the residential areas.

I chose the latter, and quickened my pace when I knew I was getting closer to my house. _No_, not because it's _my home_, but because it's the home of my most precious item in the whole wide world. _My Kawasaki Ninja_.

There it leaned, bright and shiny black like I remembered, chained to Charlie's half-ass garage. I tried to enjoy the happy moment when I went up and stroked the bike's seat…but that's when my vision caught something in the corner of my eye…

_Charlie's police cruiser._

"Christ man. Do you even work?" I whispered to myself with a slight edge of panic. I looked at the chains and I grinned when I saw that Charlie had used a cheap-ass lock to secure the bike. I laughed when I simply yanked and the chains easily ripped the lock apart. _Pathetic really._

I slid onto the bike and re-adjusted my plaid shirt. It was still damp, and smelled like oil from the garage Jenny and I had broken into just yesterday. _Oh well…at least I got a free shitty bike out of the deal, and an alright helmet._

I shoved the kickstand up, and pulled the bike to point towards the road. I needed a quick getaway, and just as I was about to sing a victory tune in my head, I went to turn the key…_the key._ _I forgot to get the key!_

Suddenly, the front door creaked open. I jumped from the bike in a panic, and practically threw myself behind the garage…and my poor bike fell to the ground.

I gasped from the sound of it hitting the driveway. My heart, even though it was no longer beating, could have cracked in half. My motorcycle laid lifeless on the ground…with probably a broken mirror…or chip in the perfect paint job…all while Charlie stared at it in shock.

"What the…" his voice was shaky, and he took a small step off the porch, but didn't go further.

My eyes widened at the sight of him. He looked like a walking disaster. _Good._ I think…

He took another step closer to the bike, and then another, and then another. After about a year and a half of watching him make his way over, he leaned down and touched the bike, and then looked up in the direction of the road.

_Wrong way…I'm back here…_

He picked up the bike from the ground, and even though he tried to be careful, I heard the pieces of the mirror clink to the ground. _Oh my god! _I covered my face and decided this was too much to watch. _Sheer torture._

But I stayed long enough to see my bike's new location, and after he unlocked the garage, and put the bike safely away, I decided getting this bike was going to be a bit of a hassle. _No biggie…_breaking and entering was practically my way of living now.

I straightened up and watched as he pulled out a ladder from the garage, and cringed when I saw that two buckets of white paint were in his other hand.

_No! Not today! _Charlie was re-touching the house. Something that had always been on his long list of fixer uppers, and of course, he had chosen this weekend, and the longest chore to scratch off his list.

_Why God? Just why?_

I was pissed as hell when I realized that my bike was going to have to rot away a bit longer than I would have liked. But that was okay. Well, I would make it okay at least. As Charlie slaved over painting this weekend, and kept an eye on things, I could make my own fun. I didn't need a nice Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle to have fun…the one I had stolen was…well…let's just leave it at that...it just _was_.

I stared at the garage, and cursed at whatever contractor decided to make a garage without windows. But I would be back for my precious bike…oh there was no way in hell it was staying here forever.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I sped down Charlie's street, and pulled into his driveway. It seemed like I had been here way too often this week, but I felt like I was finally onto something, and I needed more information.

I opened the Volvo door, and noticed Charlie up on a ladder, with a paint brush in his hand, just staring at me.

"Hi. I was just around and I thought I'd come by," I lied. I walked up to sit on the porch ledge, and as he continued with his painting, I remembered why I was here.

"Charlie you're quite busy with work aren't you?" I asked lamely.

He nodded, and gave me a look. "Yes I am," his brush strokes slowed a bit, "two unknown hell-raisers are in town. I think they might have even been here…"

My back straightened out, and I decided not to mention what I had seen on the news last night, but instead, fall victim to this new twist in the plot.

"Sorry? You think they were _here…_?" I looked around, and realized that Bella could be around this very second. _Just the idea…_I had to sit on my hands to keep from shaking with excitement.

"Yup." He slowly stepped down the ladder, and when his feet were planted firmly on the ground, he made his way over to the garage. I of course followed.

He didn't even have to tell me, or think about showing me what he was about to show me. I saw with my own two eyes the evidence before he even opened his mouth. On the ground laid the chains that used to hold Bella's bike, and in it's place was _her_ scent.

"They came around while I was inside, and unchained the bike-" he stopped suddenly and gave me a weirded out look. "Why are you grinning?"

I hadn't even realized I was. I wiped it off my face instantly, but on the inside, I swear my heart was beating quickly. _Bella had been here…this time for sure._

"Ummm…just thinking…I…" I couldn't think of anything, and I didn't care if he thought I was insane. I was too happy at the moment to even register anything he was thinking about me.

"Okay well…anyway, I got the bike back into the garage-"

"What? She didn't- err I mean _they_ didn't- get the bike?"

"No. I came outside, and they fled before they had a chance. Plus they didn't have the keys anyway." He turned his back to the garage, and headed back to his painting.

I stood and stared at the garage. It suddenly held the key to my problems.

Not only was Bella alive, she was back in town. And now I knew the reason. There was no way in hell I was letting this bike out of my sight now…

I grinned to myself and turned back to my Volvo.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

The bike I had stolen the other night was one word: _shitty._ Oh, and ugly, and slow, and loud, and lame…_several words I guess._

I hated it. When you switched gears it sounded like it was spitting at the ground, and then it would shake violently, and nearly choke to death. But I considered myself a pro rider, and it was nothing I couldn't handle.

But then I figured out why the damn bike sounded like a fucking tractor; the gas tank was on E.

I groaned and swore out loud. The only gas station around was in town, and in the afternoon, it was actually a local hangout…_lovely. _I needed gas though. I would just have to keep the visor of my helmet down, and just suck up life's shittyness.

**-x-**

I had pulled into the gas station, finished filling up the tank, and felt pretty good that there weren't many people around. Besides the young boy outside, whose job was to watch the people at the pumps, and a few other random people, it wasn't that exciting.

That is until an old beat-up truck rolled in, with one guy in the bed of it, holding a crow bar. _Crow bar? Like seriously?_

I slid onto my bike, feeling that the drama was about to begin. I watched two men jump from the truck, and the boy instantly jumped up from his seat outside. I was frozen. I needed to get out of sight, but for some reason I wasn't moving.

The boy screamed to his father who was inside on cash, but he wasn't paying attention, and the boy was instantly yanked into one of the man's arms, while the other man held his crow bar, deciding whether or not to use it.

My feet were moving forward before I even had time to make sense of anything, and next thing I knew, I had taken the crow bar from the mans hand, and smashed it across his head, while the other man looked at me without any fear in his eyes. As for the boy's eyes, who clutched to the man's arm wrapped around his neck, they were filled with tears.

"Don't be stupid." The man said. And as he backed away with the boy in his arms, the other man slowly rose, and I had to make a decision.

I backed away, and the man grinned. "That's right. You're outnumbered."

_Hardly. _I just needed time…and a place without video cameras.

The men got into the truck and sped out of the gas station, while I ran back to my bike, and ignored the people around the gas station still in shock. I kick started my bike, heard it roar to life, and I was speeding after the truck.

It was headed into the residential part of town, where the scenery turned from buildings into trees, and more trees. The truck knew I was following them, and that's probably why it suddenly stopped in the middle of an old dirt road…with no witnesses…

Both men got out, and the little boy stayed paralyzed with fear in the car. _They had already scared the shit out of him…_

I got off my bike and took off my helmet.

Both men gasped. One of them actually had the nerve to say something. "Not only are you stupid to follow us…but you're stupid enough to think that you- a little girl- can take us. You're a foolish one…" he grinned to his partner in crime, and he flashed a toothless smile as well.

I didn't even give them the luxury of hearing my fine voice. I simply walked forward, and then I charged at one man, took his crow bar, and smashed him on the head. He fell to the ground, and then his bud tried to grab around my waist, but I twisted out of his hands easily, and I used the crow bar again on this man, and he was next to fall.

Both men lay still on the ground, and I didn't even pay attention to them. I stepped over their bodies, and opened the passenger side door of the truck.

The little boy was extremely cute, and might have been seven or eight. He had sandy blonde hair, light grey eyes, and a few teeth missing in the front. He had clearly watched me kick their asses because just as I was about to tell him it was okay, he grinned hugely.

I grinned back at him, and that's when he jumped out of the cab, and with the most excited voice he asked "Are you superwoman!"

I laughed at the little boy. "Maybe. Maybe not…" I played along with him, and walked beside him on the road. I was usually uncomfortable with kids. They knew too much, and always made me feel uncomfortable. But not this kid. He was a chatterbox, and he actually had me laughing from the questions he was asking. "I bet you are. That's why you're so pretty! Am I right? I know I am!"

I finally gave in. "Fine. I'm superwoman," I couldn't help but smile when he grinned, and that's when he grabbed me around the waist and hugged me.

"Thank you for coming to get me. My Dad would have been quite angry if I had missed supper again. He hates when I'm not home on time for it."

_Oh youth…so innocent…_I touched the top of his head, not knowing if it was okay for a stranger to wrap their arms around someone else's kid. "You're welcome kid…" I said lowly, and with one last tight squeeze, he finally let go.

"It's Adam." He said, walking over to look at my shitty bike with me. It was lying on the road, and I picked it up, and put it on it's kickstand. I looked back at the men, and they were still passed out.

"What's your name?" I snapped my head back to him, and he was looking up at me with pure curiosity. His huge, grey eyes were all over my face, tracing every inch of it. _I probably should have kept the damn helmet on…_

"Umm…it's…Karen." _Karen?_ Why was that always the name I came up with for everything…

"_Karen?_" The boy said my name with disgust, "Why would you have such a plain name? You're not even plain at all."

I sighed. _Enough with the questions kid…_ "Yeah. My parents are fu-"I cut myself off before I could finish fuckers, "Funny_."_ I recovered without him even noticing.

"Well that's not very funny. You deserve a name like Pocahontas, or Esmeralda." He said.

_Or Isabella Marie Swan…_I rolled my eyes at him, but he didn't seem to care. "Well I'll think about changing it in the future. But as for right now…" I patted the seat of my shitty bike, "Have you ever been on a motorcycle?"

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I had just planned on getting gas for my Volvo, and that's when I heard about the incident that had happened not even twenty minutes ago.

A man with blondish hair was covering his face as police cruisers left the gas station. I picked his mind for information, and instantly felt terrible for not having been in the right place at the right time.

The man's son had been taken, and he hadn't even seen it happen. The poor guy had to hear it from someone else who had called 911 before he even knew what was going on.

I could have prevented it…but that's life, and sometimes not even vampires can help save someone from harm. It's all about timing.

I got out of the car and started to fill up my Volvo. The gas was coming out a bit slower, and I leaned on my car to watch the numbers slowly climb.

That's when I heard the boy's voice call his Dad. I let go of the handle of the pump, and snapped my head around to see a boy running across the street from a corner store.

I took a step away from the Volvo, and watched with the crowd of people as the father and young boy flew into each others arms. The father was crying, holding his son tightly to his chest, asking him what had happened, and how he had scared him so much.

The boy surprised me. He wasn't crying like you would expect, and wasn't the least bit phased by being kidnapped. He was actually grinning, and he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Dad, you wouldn't believe who saved me!" his smile on his face was almost contagious, and I even found myself walking nearer to him, intrigued by how he had been saved.

A slight breeze blew from around the corner, and I stiffened at the scent. _Bella…_I snapped my head around, but there was no sign of her anywhere.

"It was superwoman! She said so too! She dropped me off across the street, and said her identity couldn't be known. But she said that she trusted me enough to look both ways before I crossed, and I did, and now I'm here thanks to her!" his father pulled him tighter, and I was still paralyzed by what he had said.

I searched his brain for what he was saying…and that's when I saw a blurry vision of _her face_ in his mind.

It was Bella. She had saved him.

I took a step closer to the father and son, and bent down to the boy's level. "Hi there. I know Officer Swan. Do you know him?" I asked the little boy. He shook his head no, but the father nodded behind him. "Well I believe he is headed here to make sure you're okay, and he'll need to know what happened, and who saved you. Do you happen to know the girl's name that saved you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Karen. Such a plain name too."

I smiled and ruffled his hair, which he laughed at. "Yes. Yes it is." I smiled to myself, because I couldn't help it. Bella's grin flashed across his mind again, and even though his mind was jumping back and forth between images, I knew it was her.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I rented out a room in a motel. Nothing too expensive, and nothing too shabby. It had a shower, and even a TV- which I regretted turning on.

"_Superwoman saves the day!"_ a newscaster read from the prompter, _"Or at least that's what seven-year-old Adam Fisher told us just moments ago."_

The screen showed a video of the boy I had saved an hour ago, telling his side of the story_. "She just swooped in and saved me!"_ he yelled into the camera, and the people around him, especially his Dad, had tears in their eyes as they laughed at his innocence.

The screen then changed to the gas station video footage, and I gulped as the news castor explained the situation unfolding before my eyes.

"_The father of the young boy had gotten himself into debt with the wrong people, and as he was doing his daily routine at the gas station, the young boy was snatched by two men."_

I watched the situation unfold, and I cringed at what was going to happen next.

"_But that's when the boy's masked superhero came in and tried to disarm the men, only managing to do half the job…"_ The screen showed me smash one man with his own crowbar, but I backed down, and then the two got away. _"But like all superheroes, this one truly came through, and followed the kidnappers away from the scene of the crime, and saved the boy from being taken away any further."_

I rolled my eyes at how fluffy, and friendly they made me sound. _God I need to go burn down a church or something…_

"_The girl who saved the day for this young boy has yet to come forward, but if she is watching right now, his father is eternally grateful, and would love to meet with-"_

I turned the TV off, and rolled my eyes. _I'm turning soft…_

**

* * *

**

A/N: I bet the title threw you off a bit eh? Haha. This was just a quick update for you guys. It's fun, and I had fun writing it. Thanks for the last reviews. I think I got over twenty-five.

**-x-**


	39. Cat & Mouse

Refresher:

Bella saved a little boy, and that has her thinking she's turning into some soft, sweet person. She _hates_ that.

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* * *

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Chapter 39: Cat & Mouse

**Bella's POV**

I took a long shower to try and forget about the day's events. But as the hot water pounded into my shoulders, spraying in every direction, only to be sucked up in seconds by the drain, I couldn't get the little boy's face out of my brain.

_I saved an innocent bystander_. I_ saved an innocent bystander!_

I slammed my fist against the wall of the shower, and it dented the cheap plastic. I watched as the water filled in the dent I had made, and eventually poured from the wall.

_Get a life. You're everything you ever wanted to be. Why the fuck are you back in Forks?…_

I didn't know the answer. Well I knew half the answer- my bike- but that wasn't planned. I had actually forgotten about it until I saw it that day, chained against Charlie's garage.

I closed my eyes and let the water pour into my face, stream down into my lips, and down my body. My mind was clouded, and although it was hard to admit this to myself, I felt like the Bella I had been before I was a vampire; the one who had no plans in life, and intended on coasting.

_Coasting. _That wasn't exactly what I was doing. I didn't _happen_ to come back to Forks. I didn't _happen_ to stumble upon _a _certain scent more than others…_his scent_.

My hand grabbed the knob, and shut the water off. I stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a thin motel towel around my body.

_You're not back to see him…_I tried to convince myself that…_You're back just to screw around. He just happened to be here…_

I growled at how pathetic I was sounding in my head, and rushed over to wipe the mist off the mirror. I glared at myself, but as I stared into my eyes…my anger subsided- only because I liked what I saw. I liked that my brows were angled so that I never looked innocent, I liked that my lips were glued in a permanent scowl, and I liked that my eyes were always so dark from my anger.

I took in an unnecessary breath- probably from habit- and backed out of the bathroom. In the small motel room, just a bed, side table, and crappy TV were all that would entertain me tonight.

I didn't dare go out of the motel. God only knows what human was outside that needed help, and knowing my new bad habit, I would probably save them.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I knew I was a terrible tracker. But to find such a fresh lead on Bella, and then lose it…? I must not be trying hard enough.

But trying was all I had been doing these past months. Searching everywhere for anything. I never knew what I was looking for. Whether it be Bella alive…or not…

I slammed my fist into a tree, and covered my face with my hands.

It had been hours since the boy had described to me who had saved him, and I even had a blurry image from his mind to go off of. It _was_ Bella. I had the evidence. Not hard evidence…but evidence just the same.

That's why I wasn't telling my family, or anyone, too much about her yet. I needed to know this time for sure that she was around. I was sick of being looked at as foolish, and holding onto something that wasn't there.

_Oh but she's around…_I reminded myself. _It's just a matter of digging her out._

I removed my hands from my face and knew where I needed to be. Bella was still connected to that stupid bike for whatever reason, and I would do everything in my power to make sure she didn't get to it.

I grinned to myself at my new plan. _Oh Bella…just to see the shock on your face…_

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I had watched TV all night, and then in the early morning I went out for a quick hunt. Why I decided to be vegetarian…I don't really know…but it's what Jenny did, so I continued with it. _Or maybe it was because another family was vegetarian too…_

I swore in my head, and if it were possible, I would set my mind on fire, just to rid myself of ever knowing those vampires.

_Just a certain one, Bella…_

I picked up the flicker to the TV, and threw it at the wall. The batteries popped out the back the moment the flicker came in contact with the ugly wallpaper, and I stared as they slowly rolled under the bed.

I snapped out of it. Today I wasn't going to mope around and watch batteries disperse. I needed adventure- no, I _craved_ adventure- and even if I needed to steal back my bike with Charlie standing there watching…_oh, it was going to happen!_

I threw on my old hoodie, ripped up jeans, and headed to my crappy bike, with full intentions of returning back to the motel with my other perfect motorcycle.

Little did I know, one can only dream.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

Charlie had said if I wanted anything of Bella's, just ask. But even then, asking for her bike still made me feel like I was robbing him of something. _Or maybe it was that I was robbing _her_ of something._

But Charlie was fine with it- more than fine. He was nervous about it getting stolen before he even had a chance to figure out what to do with it, and by me taking it, he had solved a problem.

I knew it wasn't going to fit into my Volvo, and that's why I had taken Emmett's brand new Jeep over, loading it into the back easily, and slamming the trunk down.

"Well, thank you Charlie. I'll take good care of it." I walked around to the driver's side door, where Charlie stood with his arms crossed.

"Yup. Do what you want with it. It sure takes a load off my mind knowing those two hell-raisers won't be back for it now.'

I nodded, and waved goodbye as he walked back into his house. I tried to hold back a smirk to myself as I started up the engine, and peeled down the driveway, but as I sped down the road, I found myself chuckling. _Oh Charlie…I'm betting at least one of those __hell-raisers__ will be back…you can count on that…_

My scheming was cut short though when a reckless motorist cut into my lane, causing me to swerve off to the right to avoid smashing him. I honked in frustration, and looked in the rear view mirror as the guy flipped me off, and continued on his way like nothing ever happened.

_Idiot. _Reckless humans like that deserved to be flattened by oncoming vehicles.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

"Asshole!" I yelled, even though my helmet, and everything else was preventing the other driver from hearing me. "Lunatic drivers in Forks, that's for sure…"

I pulled into Charlie's driveway, not caring if he saw a hooded figure breaking into his garage or not. I only cared about what was in the garage, and as I shoved myself off my shitty bike, and threw myself into the side garage door, I knew my day was going to be much brighter with a prettier bike under my ass.

The door buckled, and the hinges cracked from my body repeatedly slamming against it. I grinned hugely when my body flew through the door, and into the garage, barely taking two seconds to enter. But the smile just as quickly disappeared when my eyes trailed over…_nothing._

The garage had nothing in it. Well, sure it had a bunch of crap and tools in it, but that was nothing useful to me. My bike was fucking gone…and in it's place…_oh my god…_

"_Edward!"_ I hissed, throwing myself back through the door, and jumping back onto my bike. I knew exactly where I was headed the moment I kicked my bike into a fast moving speed, and as it nearly flipped from the curves of the road, I couldn't stop thinking about how to get even with _Edward Cullen._

I grinned when my brilliant plan came to mind, and a shortcut was needed immediately. One thing was for sure; if I was going to play his game, I was going to play it better than him.

I jumped off my speeding bike even before it stopped, and let it smash into the ditch. I didn't look back as I ran through the forest with one destination in mind. _You better hope someone's home Edward…kiss your shiny Volvo goodbye…_

**Edward's POV**

I drove slow, careful not to scratch the motorcycle that was lying on it's side in the back of the trunk. Last thing I needed was an angry Bella at my throat for ruining her bike…or was that really that bad? I didn't care if I got sweet, caring Bella back, or sarcastic, smartass Bella back. God knows I love both, and if either one walked back into my life…I'd be over the moon.

I smiled as I looked in the rear view mirror at the bait in the back. Bella's bike truly _was _bait, and if that's what it took for me to catch her, then that's what it took.

**Bella's POV**

All the other cars were gone. That or they were tucked back in the garage, sleeping for the day. But the slight suggestion that maybe no one was home had given me an extra boost of bravery to set foot in territory I didn't think I would ever be back on.

Edward's house stood tall, looking ever so white as I crept along the outer boundaries of the property, making swift movements so that the naked eye couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Of course, a vampire eye could catch me any time, but I didn't hear anyone inside the house…and that was a good sign.

I leaped from the outer areas of the property, and bolted for the stupid shiny Volvo, which was gleaming in the sunlight. I crossed the driveway in seconds, and stood before the ultimate prize. _Edward's baby…_

My time was limited, and I suddenly realized that stealing this car would be difficult…but vandalizing it…not even the slightest bit hard.

I grinned as I looked through the windows at his precious CD's, lined alphabetically, and his air freshener dangling from the mirror, keeping his car smelling clean.

Looking at his neat and tidiness only had me gagging from memories of his 'analness', and that's when I punched into his Volvo, shattering the drivers side window, and grabbed his CDs. They were in my hands for only a second, and then biffed across his front lawn.

_Fuck I have an awesome throw…_but I didn't have time to admire my pitching abilities. I knew he would be back any second, and I needed to be away from my trail. But not without causing the most destruction to his car possible…

I clawed at his driver seat, tearing the leather instantly. But I wasn't through, and that gave me inspiration for his shiny paint job…I picked up a sharp and jagged rock, and began scraping it along the outside of the Volvo, cringing every so often from the terrible, squeaky noise. _Like finger nails on a chalk board _I told myself. When the scrapes looked deep enough, I picked up a brick from the garden wall, and it's new home was found in the center of the windshield.

I couldn't help but enjoy the sound of the glass shattering, and I even sighed after the destruction was then completed. I was about to leave when his air freshener twirled in the breeze, catching the corner of my eye. I reached out and snapped it from the rear view mirror, chucking it onto the passenger side seat.

_There, now I can leave._ And I did.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I prayed my vision was playing tricks on me. But seeing as how I had better than 20/20 vision, I highly doubted that.

"Oh my god…" I whispered to myself, opening the driver's side door, and sinking out of it. "My car…"

My Volvo was destroyed- or it at least looked that way. The outside was keyed, the windshield was shattered by a brick, and as I walked closer, I saw the interior had suffered just as badly as the outside. My leather seats were ripped apart, and my CDs…_my CDs! _I spun around to see if they had gotten that far, and sure enough, across the lawn silver disks glistened.

I sighed. _She could have done worse…this isn't that bad…_But I knew this was bad. She was obviously still the Bella from camp, and her tempter was higher than ever. _She even ripped the air freshener from it's string…_

Oh well. What did I expect? At least she was playing with me. I snapped my head around to the sent the wind was blowing towards me, and I grinned when I recognized it as Bella's.

_Excellent._

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I didn't stop running until I saw the local watering hole, and the old bridge running over it's sparkling waters. The watering hole was really just a huge pond, with a stream to the right, and a drop-off near the bridge- only the bridge was insanely high above the pond, and anyone dumb enough to jump off of it was either suicidal, or just plain dumb.

I might have considered myself both of these a year ago, but today, I just wanted some fun. I wanted to jump from the top, experience something new, and maybe get rid of my trail in case Edward chose to follow it- not that he was a good tracker anyway.

I took the loop around, and ended up on top of the bridge instead of staying on the pond edges like most onlookers normally did. I gasped at the height, and knew this was something I never would have even imagined doing. _Jumping off a bridge…_I shimmied my way through the bars the local police had put up for safety, just to dissuade people from doing exactly what I was doing now. My lower lip might have been trembling from the height as I was looking over the edge-with only my hands behind me holding me to the bridge- or maybe it was the kids coming by in their canoe, mouths wide open in shock.

_They think I'm suicidal…_I stared down at the three bodies in the canoe, and noticed that they weren't kids, but just a bunch of stupid teenage boys, the kind that called me a wimp in high school, and made me feel like shit all through my life. _I'll show them…_I took in a gulp of air, counted to three, and let my hands loosen on the bars behind me.

The boys screamed as I held in my own when I fell from the top for what seemed like miles, until the water smacked into me, taking my legs out from under me, and pushing me upside down into the water.

I swear it almost hurt…almost. But the terror of falling free, and the jolt of adrenaline flowing through my body after realizing I made it through a jump like that, felt like I was on ecstasy.

I pulled up through the water, right in front of the boy's canoe, and grinned hugely at them when they dropped their mouths in unison- all except for one. He was holding a camera, and had video taped the whole thing. I gulped, pushing the wet bangs from my face. _Get away Bella…get away! _So I did, and I swam away from the boys as they hooted and hollered. I was notoriously camera shy, and prying the camera from the boy's hands wouldn't do anything.

I made it to the side of the pond, and raced up the ledge of it and into the woods. I needed to find cover, and hide out for a bit. There's definitely such thing as too much fun in one day.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

"Alice," I nodded over to her when she and Rosalie stepped out of Carlisle's car. Their jaws were dropped, and Rosalie looked a bit amused.

I held back a growl.

"Edward…" Alice began, but I cut her off.

"Is _this_ not proof Bella's back?" I circled what was left of my car, and held back the rage that was making Rosalie hold back her laughter. "This isn't funny Rosalie, _she_ did this."

She finally broke into laughter. "Bella didn't do it. She wouldn't have the guts to- literally I guess-"

Alice jabbed her in the ribs before I could cross over the car and do it myself.

"No but seriously, come on Edward…it's just the local boys. It doesn't even smell like her. It's all wrong." Rosalie thought she had a good case. I ignored her though, and let her flip her hair out at me, and walk away. Alice tried to do the same though, and I wasn't having that. I stepped in front of her, and pleaded with her.

"Alice. Come on…it's so obvious…" I begged her to see the situation, but she wasn't having it. "Don't you see, it's Bella's scent all over the place. At least I think it is-"

"Exactly. You don't know that it is. It certainly is close to hers, but come on Edward…it's not Bella at all." She walked past me, and I growled.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

I let her shut the door on me, and I was left alone outside, with my ripped apart Volvo, and no one in the family believing that this wild child causing havoc in Forks was Bella.

**-x-**

_**2 days later…**_

**Bella's POV**

My time in Forks was ticking, and I needed that fucking bike sooner than later. But if Edward was going to be guarding it 24/7, it seemed like it would be easier to try and steal the Mona Lisa than my Kawasaki Ninja.

I sighed, and glanced at the clock in the corner of the computer screen. It wasn't even 11am yet, and already, kids were pouring into the library, forgetting the rules to keep their mouths shut.

"Mark, check out this video. It's incredible," a boy, not older than twelve, told his bud next to him. His bud nodded, and watched over his shoulder as he played an unknown video for him on the computer screen. I watched as both of the boys' faces lit up, and at the same time, gasped. They looked at each other, and actually highfived. "Sweet video eh? My older brother showed it to me, it's on the front page-"

I stopped listening when I heard a few other kids chattering about another video on the homepage of _YouTube_, apparently getting a lot of buzz.

"Yup, one million views in 12 hours. _Insane_." The girls laughed, replaying the video.

I sighed. _It won't kill __you__ to look._ I typed in the webpage, and up popped the familiar red and white logo of YouTube. I scrolled down the page, and nothing too spectacular caught my attention…until I noticed the last video on the page.

"Oh my g0d…" I said lowly to myself, clicking the title 'superwoman'. I shrank lower in my seat as I realized what I had done, and what those stupid boys had done.

_A somewhat blurry image of a girl stood up on the bridge, squeezing through the bars. Then, as the boys gasp at what they are seeing, she leans forward, and lets go of her grip. They scream, she doesn't, and that's it- until she pops up right in front of them. This is the turning point in the video, and then she is no longer a mystery to the world, and my face is clear as day, grinning hugely into the camera- and that's when it shuts off._

I died. Or I at least wanted to.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

"Alice, what's your problem?" I walked into the living room where she was flipping through a magazine, and Rosalie had control of the flicker. Rosalie gave me a look, but I chose to ignore it.

Alice glanced up from her magazine and rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable."

"_I'm_ unbelievable?"

"Yes."

I shook my head and pulled my hands through my hair. "Why?"

"You don't know when to give up."

"There's nothing wrong with that-"

"It's borderline insanity when you suggest your girlfriend is still alive."

"She's not my girlfriend," _did I just say that?_ "And she's alive."

Alice growled, and stood up suddenly, trying to look intimidating. "I would love to believe that. I would love to see her. I would love to get to know her again…but it's not happening."

"You see visions of her!" I tried to hold back my temper, but I couldn't.

"No Edward, I don't. Those are just blurry images of what I wish were true. But they're not."

My fists clenched, and I knew my temper was going to get the best of me. Especially when Rose turned up the volume of the TV, and started telling me to shut up.

"YOU shut up!" I growled, but she held up her hand like I was a primary student, and she was the teacher. I shook my head in disbelief, and threw my hands up in defeat.

Alice sat back down and rolled her eyes at me. I stared blankly at the TV the two girls were suddenly both transfixed on- but I knew they were just watching to avoid a fight with me.

_Go fuck yourself Edward. _Rosalie hissed in her head when I kicked the couch to distract them. But they didn't move their eyes from the TV.

"Stop. This is good. I heard about this video, but I haven't had a chance to see it," Rosalie pointed to the TV, and I sighed in defeat.

"Fine, be like that," I turned to leave, but when Alice's breath caught suddenly, and Rosalie swore, I snapped around to face them. "What-" I didn't have time to ask. I was distracted by Bella's high school picture in the top right hand corner of the screen, flashing with a breaking news banner above it. My legs could have buckled as the news castor began to speak.

"_Imagine the shock when local boys filming a school project stumbled across what appeared to be a suicide attempt, only to realize it was the local wild child up to no good. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch this video, posted only twelve hours ago, gaining tremendous hype around the dare devil child, apparently not so dead after all…"_

My eyes widened, but I couldn't take them off the screen.

_A girl slides in between the safety bars, and the boys gasp. She leans forward, lets go of her grip, and the boys scream at what they are seeing; she is silent. She then pops her head up out of the water right in front of the boys canoe, and then the screen freezes on the girl's grinning face._

My breath caught when the news castor panned the image next to Bella's high school picture, and started to explain Bella's disappearance from seven months ago. I didn't pay attention- I couldn't- because the proof I needed was staring me right in the face.

"Oh my god…" Alice whispered, but I couldn't even bring myself to gloat. My gaze couldn't be ripped from the picture of Bella, grinning widely.

She looked…_different._ Maybe it was because she was soaking wet, or that her hair was a different color since I had seen her last. Or maybe it was that the glow in her eyes had returned, and she looked…happy.

The screen suddenly switched away to other news, but my mind was still taking in what I just seen.

_Forks knows now…I'm not the only one…_

"Edward, I'm so sorry for doubt-" Alice tried to say, but I was already out of the room, and out of the house before she could continue.

I needed to find Bella even more now. Not only was she acting destructively, she was in danger of getting caught, and being put into even more trouble. I needed to help her, but I couldn't help her if I didn't know where to look for her.

_Where are you Bella?_

* * *

**-x-**

**A/N: u like? Haha. **

**-x-**


	40. Don't Give A Damn

**Chapter 40: Don't Give a Damn**

**Charlie's POV**

I had been feeling better lately. I was finally coping- and admitting that to myself was almost hard. But it was true.

I flicked the TV on, and there weren't any good games on, which angered me, but I put on the news just to sit back and relax. That's when I found out God had a sense of humour with human emotions.

I stood slowly when I saw the last part of the news.

"…_apparently not so dead after all…" _I stared at the screen where a video started to play…and the moment I saw Bella's grin…I was done.

My legs gave out, and the color black took over.

**-x-**

**Jake's POV**

I spit out my cereal all over my computer the moment Bella's face grinned on the YouTube screen.

"HOLY SHIT!" I choked out, flipping back out my chair, crashing into my bookshelf. Books and CD's fell onto my head, but I let them fall as I tried to catch my breath.

My bedroom door swung open. "What the hell is going on!" Billy yelled, glaring at my weird position on the floor.

"Bella's alive, that's what's goin' on," I jumped up and shoved passed him, "Bella's alive! BELLA'S ALIVE!"

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I kept my hood up. I wasn't taking any chances now in town. People who didn't even know me before I left could recognize me from that fucking _YouTube_ video.

I held back a growl. Just thinking about it made me angry all over again.

My phone in my back pocket vibrated. I knew who it was- the only person with my number. I flipped my crappy prepaid phone out, and read the text message from Jenny.

_You're an idiot._

I shut my phone. _No shit, I know._

I had a new plan now. Get in and get out, and that plan was now in affect. No screwing around. No jumping off bridges. No posting videos on _YouTube_. My time was up in Forks. I needed to get the fuck out of here- like yesterday.

But I said it before, and I'll say it again; there's no way in hell I'm leaving without my bike. _No way._

**-x-**

**Alice's POV**

"Well, this is new," Rosalie was trying to make light of the situation.

"Shut up, this is…"

"Insane?"

"Yes," I walked over to the window, and gasped when I heard my Porsche engine. _What the hell…_I peered over at the garage, and sure enough, the door lifted, and my car zoomed out.

"Edward you little-" I banged on the window when he swerved down the driveway, it took everything in me not to smash through it and chase him down.

"Edward took your car?" Rosalie asked.

"What do you think?" I snapped. How dumb was she? Jasper and Emmett were off hunting, and Carlisle and Esme were in Alaska. Who else?

Rosalie hissed at me. "Meow…" she left the room, and apparently she didn't give a shit about the new revolution in the mystery of Bella.

I stood at the window, and watched as Rosalie backed her precious car down the driveway, leaving me alone in the house.

_Bitch. _I flopped back down on the couch, and closed my eyes. _Why can't I see you Bella? _I tried to concentrate harder, but the images were incredibly blurry, and there was nothing I could go off on.

I opened my eyes to the sound of the pouring rain on the window. It was miserable outside, and I knew Emmett and Jasper were going to be miserable in the rain wherever they were.

I pulled myself off the couch, and stared out the window at our yard. The rain seemed to be making the grass greener, and the trees looked slick with a coat of water on them. I rolled my eyes at the garage; Rosalie had left it open, letting the rain get in.

_Idiot…_even though it wasn't my doing, I put on my rain coat, and quickly streaked through it to the garage.

The rain dripped off me when I entered it, and before I could type in the 4 digit code to close the door down, I was sidetracked by a presence in my peripheral vision.

I snapped my head around, and sure enough, there stood the innocent figure I hadn't thought would still be in Forks.

**Bella's POV**

I saw the garage door was already open. _Was it a trap? _But I didn't care at this point. I could see my bike from the driveway, and as I ran towards it, and entered the garage, my excitement level was through the roof. _Too easy…_

But plans didn't go right. _They never do._

"Bella."

I snapped around to see Alice, dripping wet, her mouth open. _You're caught girl...ditch the bike and run…_but I didn't right away.

"You're…" her eyes bulged from her head, and she couldn't spit it out.

"Alive?" I asked, hopping onto my bike, and staring at her open mouth.

"You're…not human…" she leaned on the side wall, and it looked like she was going to fall over.

"Oh yeah, I guess that would be new to you. Man, we really haven't seen each other in a _long_ time. When was the last time…oh right, you returned to Forks, and begged me to 'get better'. God…those were the days eh?" I chuckled lightly, and she didn't respond. She was still in shock.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, not really caring. I was searching the room with my eyes for the keys to the fucking bike…and I spotted them on the right of the wall, hanging on a hook. _Gotcha._

She didn't say anything, and she walked over to the right of the wall, and my spirits fell when she picked up the key, and cupped it in her hand. _Damn you!_

"I'm thinking how incredibly dumb you've been acting, and how reckless that bridge stunt was. And now, looking at you- a vampire!- it all makes sense!" she twirled the key as she continued to yell at me. "What's your plan Bella? Skip out on the ones that care for you? Everyone knows you're alive! It was on the news! Do you know that?"

"Yes I know that!" I yelled back, "I know what I'm doing!"

Why did I say that? I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. I have no plans, no reason for living except to live life, and that's gotten me a few laughs so far…but really in the long run, what was that worth? _Nothing._

"You lie." Alice saw right through me. "Bella, if running is what you want, and you honestly don't want to face us right now, go for it-" she threw the key in the air towards me, and I caught it easily.

"What?"

"I'm not chasing you. It's what you want. It's the thrill you get. One day you will wake up, and everyone will be over the Bella Swan case, and you'll just have your memories to accompany you during the long and lonely nights. Then what will you do?"

I blinked. "Nothing, because you're wrong. I don't want to stay here because I am not the person he wants me to be."

"You're not even the same species anymore, Bella. I think he deserves to see you-"

"Yeah, and then what? Just because we're both vampire's doesn't mean we're perfect matches now, and that everything will be ironed out."

"I didn't suggest that. You brought that up on your own."

_Damn it._

"See? You want to see him. You just aren't letting yourself open up to it," she stared into my eyes, and she sighed when I said nothing back. "Fine. You will always have this wild streak to you Bella. Why don't you just go?" she stepped aside, and pointed into the rain.

"Please don't follow me," I begged her with my eyes, and she laughed.

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't give a damn where you go. I'm just sick and tired of you throwing my brother around." She moved away from the door, and typed in the lock code for the automatic doors- and that was my signal to get the fuck out.

I revved the engine to life, and sped off down the driveway, and tried not to look in the side view mirrors at the vampire I used to be best friends with.

_What's happened to me?_

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

I yanked out the picture of Bella from my pocket and placed it on the dashboard. I didn't need to look at it- I already knew her grin by heart- but sometimes I needed the reminder of why I was doing all the chasing in our relationship.

I increased the speed of Alice's Porsche, and ignored the maximum speed road signs. I was being incredibly reckless; but I was too pissed off to care.

Why was Bella so good at hiding? And why couldn't I find her anywhere…?

I hadn't given up on her. I just needed to calm down, and return Alice's car back to her before she freaked out.

But I was sidetracked when I came to an intersection, and a black motorcycle blew the stop sign, and flew right passed my stopped car. I would have normally just cursed to myself, and not have thought anything of it, until I recognized the bike. It was the same bike from the picture on my dashboard...

_Bella…_

I shoved the Porsche into gear, and turned a hard left onto the street Bella was traveling on. I could still see her weaving in and out of a few random cars, and as I passed them as well, the road turned into dirt, and came into a private drive.

She was going too fast, and that scared me. She obviously could see me on her tail, but was getting away from me really more important than her life?

But out of nowhere, she slowed down, and that's when I pulled up beside the hooded girl I was in love with.

**Bella's POV**

Alice lied, and decided to follow me. _So much for not caring. _That's why I led her on a wild goose chase, and eventually, came to a stop. If she wanted to race, I'd show her a race.

Her car pulled up beside my Motorcycle, but I didn't bother removing my hood, or nodding over to try and see through the tinted windows.

I revved my engine to show her my intentions, but she didn't do it back- so I chose to show her.

I shifted the bike into gear, and I was flying from the starting point, already going over the speed limit. But I wanted to go faster. _I needed to._ The wind blowing over my hoodie, and along my skin made me feel invincible, and if I crashed, I wouldn't care because nothing would happen.

I spoke to soon though…and that's when God decided to test that theory.

**Edward's POV**

Her front tire avoided the huge pot hole, but her back one didn't steer clear of it. I stopped breathing when her bike wobbled, and then swayed to the right, smashing on top of her, and dragging her along the dirt road.

I yanked the car off to the right to avoid her, and slammed on my breaks when she finally coasted to a stop. I was out of the Porsche in half a second, and had already pulled the bike off her body.

"Bella! Talk to me!" I growled, flipping her body, and tilting her face to look at mine.

I gasped- not from the shocked look on her face either, but because Bella wasn't Bella anymore.

I glared into her gold eyes, and all the worry for her from two-seconds ago vanished, and was replaced with anger. She noticed too, and shrugged.

"Sorry?" she said simply.

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-x-

**A/N: ****Okay****, here's the thing. I write the chapters, people read them, and the fans write reviews. Last chapter had one of the most views ever, but also had the least reviews yet.**

**-x-**

**Just saying.**


	41. I Will Follow You

**Chapter 41: I Will Follow You to the End of the Earth**

**Edward's POV**

Her eyes were gold. _Gold. _

My eyes bulged at what I was seeing. She wasn't someone I knew- she had finally gone too far.

"Sorry?" she said hesitantly.

I gasped at the sound of her voice. It was raspy, and no longer light. That wasn't the only thing different. Her face had thinned out, and her cheek bones looked higher, along with the arches of her eyebrows- or maybe that was from the confused look on her face, I don't know…

"What have you done…?" I whispered, clutching her shoulders.

She went stiff, and I wasn't used to this solid, muscular Bella.

"Good to see you too," she grinned, looking up at me through her long dark lashes. My stomach turned at what I was seeing, but I had to ignore the butterflies, and face the facts.

"Who did this?" I growled, pinning her to me. She ignored the question, and started taunting me.

She laughed. "I can take you," she suddenly flipped her body out from under me, and shoved away from me. I was left kneeling on the ground, while she stood over me with her arms crossed over her chest. "You look shocked."

I was. She was strong. And quick…and coordinated. Not the Bella I knew.

I stood up quickly, and took in her stance.

_Bella, a vampire…Bella Swan is a vampire…_I had to say it out loud. "You're a vampire…for all the crazy things, you choose this! You can't go back on this! This is it!" I was yelling, and I couldn't keep focus on one thing. "You're insane Bella! Never have I met someone who _wanted_ this. Why would you do this!"

She stared at me, and then took a step back.

"Don't you dare!" but she had already turned her back too me, and started running. _Foolish. _I darted after her, and followed her into the woods. She tried to lose me by streaking in and out of the trees, but I was one step ahead of her, and I had managed to call one of her turns before she did. I had her pinned on the ground in no time.

"Quit running Bella!" I yelled at her, pinning her arms down with my own, and holding her down with my chest on top of hers.

"Why?" she growled. _Bella growling…so strange…_

"Because I need you. I thought you died…" I stared into her eyes, and the gold was still throwing me off.

"No you didn't. You've been on my ass for months," she blurted out.

_Hardly. _"Bella, I have never been so terrible at tracking in my life. I looked everywhere for you. But I had no idea where you went to…"

"Edward, when I say you were on my ass, I mean it. You were always five minutes behind me, and I let that happen."

"What?"

**Bella's POV**

_**Seven months ago…**_

"Jenny, this is everything I ever wanted…" I looked down at my new body, and grinned hugely when I realized I was indestructible now.

"Well, I wasn't going to let you die…" she grinned, throwing her arm around my shoulder, and bringing me in for a side hug.

"You could have…and until now, I hadn't realized how much that would have sucked- to die so early in life, and have done nothing with it. Now I have all the time in the world, and I can blow it doing anything." I hugged her harder to my side. "Thank you," I said seriously.

She didn't say anything, and she slid her arm from over my shoulder, and stopped suddenly.

"What?" I grinned, but my happy-go-lucky attitude dropped suddenly.

"It's this scent. A vampire…" she trailed.

I knew who she was talking about…and I looked at her worryingly. "Edward!" I cocked my head to the side, and took in his sweet scent. "He is going to flip!"

"Bella, who is he…" she stared at me with wide eyes.

"No, it's okay. Edward is from the camp. He's my boyfriend- well used to be- and he's what we are." What _we_ are…_I'm a vampire…_

"I thought you wanted freedom?"

I blinked. "And I have it."

"Not yet you don't. Just because you're outside, and now a vampire doesn't mean you're free. Look at me…"

I stared at her. She looked fine to me. Sure she still had on the same ratty clothes, and she never left the forest for anything- a light bulb went off. "I'm different than you. I won't waste it."

Jenny rolled her eyes at me. "You are not different than me, Bella."

"But I'm not the one hiding."

"Yes you are."

I glared at her. She was so wrong.

"Bella you may not be hiding literally like me, but you're not living for yourself."

"Of course I am!" I yelled. _That's ridiculous. _"How the hell else did I end up in this dump? I went against life, and took the road less traveled."

She shook her head. "Hardly. You just rebelled, but deep down inside, you knew you still didn't feel like you were living."

I was getting nervous. She was dead on. That frightened me.

"Bella, you once told me that you may not know where you're going in life, but you know where you're NOT going. I'm just curious…where exactly is that? What are you running from?"

_Damn it._ She was right. I wasn't myself. I never was. I was running from myself. I was running from feelings I knew I still had for a certain someone…

"I think you're running from that boyfriend of yours."

"I know."

"So?"

"So what?"

"I'm just saying…maybe you should give him a chance-"

"Fuck no. I want to experience this on my own. I need to be able to be on my own…"

"Can you be? Do you really want to be alone for the rest of your existence?" Jenny cocked an eyebrow at me, and I just stared ahead.

"For now…yeah?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot. You make me feel like I made the wrong decision to-"

"No! I wanted this. I needed this. I'm glad I'm a vampire- I can now live."

"Are you living Bella?"

"I will be. I just need time."

"How much time?"

"Enough to pay him back for leaving me…"

Jenny glared at me. "So this is what your whole rebel act was for? To get revenge?"

I had never admitted that to anyone- let alone myself. But now that I was coming clean, and admitting certain stuff…_yes, it was. _He left me, and promised me he would never return for me- and I _hated_ that. I needed him…so much. In return, I knew the only thing to piss him off was to break my promise- and I turned into a wild child.

"Yes. I turned into that new girl for him. To get his attention…and it worked…a little too well. I completely forgot my intentions, and fell in love with a different way of life- until I realized I wasn't living at all."

Jenny grinned. "So what's your answer? Are you going to go after your lover boy or what?"

I shrunk back into myself. "Not yet…"

Jenny growled. "You're foolish Bella."

"I know."

**-x-**

"He's close behind us, you're sure you don't want to turn around and find him?" Jenny looked beside me, and I rolled my eyes.

We had been on the road for a couple weeks, and it was clear Edward was on our trail- but that was okay with me. I liked knowing he was close behind. I liked smelling his scent on my heels. It was a way of getting my fix- he was my crack.

"I know Jenny, it's not that big a deal. He's not that good of a tracker…" I lied. He was better than what I had expected. _Thankfully._

"You're giving that poor guy whip lash Bella. One minute he's onto something, the next you're across the country. Do you like giving him false hope?"

I didn't answer her. I knew the answer though. I just liked having him near me- I just didn't want to admit that yet. It was like me losing, and him winning. I wasn't going to admit that yet.

**-x-**

**Present…**

"Edward, I knew your every move. You've been in every place I've been- always five minutes too late. I let that happen."

His gaze on my face had somehow gotten harder. "Why would you do that?"

"Because."

"Jesus Christ Bella, for once in your life stop avoiding the question!" he shook my shoulders, and pushed me harder into the ground. I felt my shoulders digging into the ground under me, and I could feel the contours of his chest through his thin t-shirt.

I hesitated…but when he stared into my eyes…I was done running.

"Because I need you too…" I whispered, cutting my eyes away to the sky. I tried to wiggle out from under him, but he only held me tighter to him.

"You need me?" he choked out, and I couldn't look him in the eye. "Look at me!" he growled.

I cut my eyes back to his smouldering dark ones. A smile was forming on his face, and my stomach was on a spin cycle.

"Why are you smiling?" I had no reason for why I was grinning too. No, that was a lie. I had been waiting for that smirk from him for too long, and it was simply contagious.

"I think you know why-" he crushed his lips into mine, and I could feel every inch of his body on top of mine. His legs pinned down mine, but I wasn't going anywhere.

My hands were tangled in his hair, holding him tightly to my face, while his hands were traveling down my arms, and across my waist. I shivered when they stopped on my hips.

I ripped my lips away from him- for once I was the one having to stop things.

"Jesus Edward-" I tried to catch my breath, but his lips crushed back onto mine, and any will power to try and talk myself into getting away from him didn't exist. It felt amazing- better than amazing- to finally just be together…probably forever.

He finally pulled away from me, and his chest was moving up and down, just like mine. "You still taste so good…" he grinned, leaning in for another kiss, which wasn't as passionate as the one before, but left me just as flustered.

"Edward Cullen, you're going to be the death of me…" I growled, hugging him to my body.

He rolled his eyes, and placed his face in the crook of my neck. I shivered from his cold breath, and tried not to laugh when he began to kiss along my neckline, and up my jaw. His lips were only an inch from my own, and his gaze was locked with mine. "Bella, if I've learned anything over the past year and a half, it's that you- Isabella Marie Swan- are indestructible."

I grinned hugely. _Fucking right. _He mocked my grin, and pressed his forehead to mine. "If I go down, I'm taking you with me." I whispered into his shoulder.

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground easily. I held onto a fist full of his shirt, and didn't let go of it when he placed me on my feet.

"Miss Bella, I wouldn't have it any other way. I will follow you to the end of the earth," he covered my hand that was gripping onto his shirt, and I leaned in so that my lips barely brushed his.

"And I'll let you," I smiled, and when he smiled back, I felt like I was on cloud 9.2…no, higher than that. Like cloud 9.6 or something…

**-x-**

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A/N:

Cloud 9.6…lol.

This chapter Bella finally came clean. She had a reason for acting tough, and it was to hide from the old Bella, and try and pretend she wasn't her anymore, as well to break the promise to take care of herself. She wanted revenge on Edward, and make him feel what she felt.

As for reviews and such, last chapter they picked up from before, and I appreciate that so much.

As for chapters, I believe that the next one will probably be the last. The story is wrapping up, and I will try and tie up the loose ends in the next one.

A huge thank you goes out to the fans of this fanfic. If not for your reviews, and convincing me to continue when I had major writers block, I would have given up- like I did with my other half ass stories.

Thank you so much. _Seriously._

Oh, and if you want to see some fun fan art for this story, check out my profile.

**-x-**


	42. Cleared Air

**Refresher: **Bella admitted why she was acting out, Etc. She and Edward are like totally an item now. Haha. (say the last part in an incredibly lame voice, it's funnier)

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Chapter 42: Cleared Air

**Bella's POV**

"Charlie is pissed," Jacob said. He looked me up and down, "And he doesn't even know the extent of it all…"

I nodded.

Charlie wasn't the only one pissed off at me- the entire town was. That's why I made the decision not to come out of hiding. I would live forever behind the scenes, until one day I could come out and finally live without the mask.

But for now, the mask was needed, and I was okay with not staying in Forks- as long as I had my best friend by my side.

No not crack or even Jake. It was _Edward._

"When you leaving?" Jake couldn't even ask the question without holding back a sigh. He let it out, and I could see his inner turmoil coming through.

"Tonight some time. I can't stay here," I crossed his room, and took a seat right next to him on his bed. It was my idea to come to La Push and see him. Edward knew I wouldn't run away from him or his family- I had finally convinced myself and them of this enough. I just needed to see Jake.

"Sucks," he took my hand in his, and squeezed it pretty hard. I squeezed back, and heard a crack. "Fuck Bella!"

I laughed. "Oh get over yourself," I watched him hold his hand to his chest, and he was cursing under his breath.

"You know what, I don't think I'm going to miss you," he was shaking his head, and he tried to straighten out his fingers. I grinned when I heard them painfully snap back into place. He yelped. I laughed. He glared at me.

"You know you don't mean that," I punched him in the shoulder, and he yelped again, clutching his arm.

"Okay seriously, stop touching me!" he flipped off his mattress, and onto the floor. I rolled my eyes at how he was acting, but I was loving every minute of it.

"Jake, I hope you never change," I stood up from his bed, and crossed my arms. His face was composed, and I knew the serious bullshit was coming. _Fuck. _"You know, you gave me a life Jacob. And I owe you everything I am worth for that."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not very much Bella-" I crossed the room, and shoved him into his bookcase. It slammed hard into the wall, and books fell onto the floor, and onto Jake. "Christ, you're as insane as ever!"

"Well you're goofing off! I'm trying to be serious, and you're not listening!" My tone came out in a growl, but he still wasn't listening. He continued to be self-centered, rubbing his 'wounds', acting like I had severely injured him. "Jake, I want you to know that you saved me from myself…too many times to count."

He grinned. "This is a very sad attempt at trying to act real."

I nodded. It was true. It wasn't natural for me to try and tame his silliness. It was what I loved about him.

"Bella, I think we should just leave it at this," he walked over to his wall, and pointed at all the pictures of him and I in the past. I grinned, and walked over to stand next to him.

I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face, and I even found myself laughing along with him as I remembered the fun times. There was the picture of him and I fishing, and I had a trout hanging on my fishing line, while Jake leaned away screaming. There was a picture of Jake and I crashing the school dance in our PJ's, slow dancing in the middle of the gym, while onlookers watched with horrified faces. Then there were tons of pictures of us camping, biking, and swimming- but the best one wasn't of any of those.

It was Jake and I posing in front of a mirror in his bathroom, both wearing tank tops, and posing like models. It was our sad attempt at poking fun at all those _Facebook_ and _Myspace_ pictures…but it had been one of the funniest, and most carefree days of my life. We were just hanging out, and it was easy being with Jacob…

"I'm going to miss you so much Jake…" I admitted.

He pulled me into a side hug, and just when I thought he was finally going to get soft, he stayed himself. "I wish I could say the same…" he whispered into my hair.

I jabbed him in the ribs, flew out of his room before he could tackle me, and ran down his driveway.

"That's right Bella! You run," he laughed, and I turned to see him hanging out of his bedroom window, "And don't think I'm not telling Billy about you bullying me…your father will definitely be getting a call from mine, just so you know."

I covered my face to hide my grin, and then I had to turn my back to the bestest friend I had ever had.

I smiled to myself as I walked back to my truck, and when I started it up, I realized I didn't say goodbye.

But I would never say goodbye to Jacob Black. It just simply wasn't going to happen.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

"Alice, she's just outside. Be nice."

"Oh don't give me that," but she shut her mouth when I gave her a dirty look. "Okay, okay…"

I sighed, and opened the door to let Bella in. My breath caught in my throat. She was insanely gorgeous.

"How's it goin'?" she asked casually, taking a step around me to get inside. But I wasn't having that, and I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to me to whisper her a reminder. "Be nice please…"

Bella slid out from my hold, and rolled her eyes at me, but I could see the slightest smirk from the edges of her mouth. _You're killing me…_

"Hi guys," Bella nodded coolly over at Emmett and Jasper. Emmett chuckled at her awkwardness, and Jasper just smirked back. "Rosalie, Alice…" she stopped on Alice's face, which was stone. Bella's mirrored it. _Here we go…_

**Bella's POV**

I was dreading seeing Alice. We had a lot of loose ends. Everyone knew that, and maybe that's why they ducked out of the room, leaving me completely alone with her.

_Fuck._

"I wasn't sure if you'd even come and see me," she admitted, taking a step towards me, "I'm not sure of anything though when it comes to you. You're future is blank…I wonder why that is…" she stopped in front of me, and looked me up and down. "May I give you a hug?"

I shrugged, and before I knew it, the small vampire had her arms squeezing me to death, and I was gasping. "Jesus Alice, that's good enough!" I unwound her grip, and she hesitantly smiled.

"Bella, you have no idea how hard it's been…"

I laughed. "Don't be so sure."

"I'm sorry…for everything. I just wanted you to see that you were not being the Bella I knew-" I cut her off by covering my face and moaning into my hands. "Sorry…" she trailed.

I pulled my hands away from my face, and tried to keep my tempter in check. "It's okay. I'm just sick of having people tell me what happened to me…and what Bella I am now, and what one they like, and what one they don't-"

"Okay, I get it." She hissed.

I stopped talking and just stared at her. Our relationship really had changed.

"Bella, I'm glad you're with us. I know that some day we will be like we used to…" she trailed off when she caught me roll my eyes.

"Alice," I laughed, "No offence, but I hope that day never comes. There is no way in hell I am being your dress up doll again."

She laughed, and finally our conversation was turning light-hearted.

"Okay," she smiled, "I guess you can hold my shopping bags then."

"Nah, I can't take Jasper's job. He's your bitch, and I couldn't do that to him." I grinned, and she growled, but a smile covered her lips.

"God Bella, you really don't know how good it is to hear your laugh…"

I nodded. "You too."

And that was that. With one last smile, and an awkward side hug, we were on our way back to being pals- it was just rocky, but that wasn't a challenge I couldn't take head on.

**-x-**

"Thank god that's over…I just want to get the fuck out of here…" I leaned my head on the head rest of Alice's Porsche, and stared at the ceiling of the car. Edward and I were taking a road trip away for a bit, and Alice let us borrow her car because…well...you know.

I couldn't help smiling to myself. The memory of ruining his Volvo was still just as hilarious. I didn't feel bad at all. I tilted my head to the right to look out the window, and try to hide the smirk on my face.

It didn't work.

"Bella…" Edward reached over and tilted my head to face him. "What's with the look on your face?"

I tried to hide it again, but the corners of my mouth couldn't help but twitch up. I gave up, and then found myself laughing. Edward rolled his eyes at me.

"Please tell me what you're thinking, you're killing me." He stared at me with his golden eyes, smirking at my pathetic attempt to keep a straight face.

"I'm just wondering…what went through your mind when you found your Volvo…" I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he turned his gaze back to the road. "Oh come on Edward! Don't give me that! Are you still angry!" I threw my head back to laugh, and when I looked back over at him, I could see him fighting a smile.

"Yes, I'm still angry. You don't know how much I liked that car-"

"Well excuse me! You stole my bike, and now it's ruined as well!" I argued, but he shook his head, and plugged his right ear with his hand to pretend he couldn't hear me. "Stop trying to ignore me!" I punched him the arm, and he actually swerved the car.

His attention was back on me, and the way he stared right through me had my stomach in a whirl.

"Bella I could never ignore you," his mouth formed a straight line, and his face didn't hold any joking to it.

I nodded, and looked back out the window. And I thanked my lucky stars I wasn't human because my face would have been redder than a beat.

**-x-**

**Charlie's POV**

I had an idea she would turn up. Of course I wished it was under different circumstances; but to see my daughter again was a second chance, I guess.

"Bella," I cracked the door open, and she slipped through the small opening. Edward stayed outside, leaning on the car, and waved me off. I shut the door. It was the confrontation of the century; it was bound to happen some time.

I turned around when the door clicked shut, and there she stood, prettier than my pathetic memory could ever have reminded me.

I walked past her to the kitchen, and poured myself a drink of water, while she idled near the kitchen table, staring at the many clippings of her from the newspaper on the bulletin board.

"I never thought you were dead…" I began, turning towards her. She kept her gaze on the bulletin board, and I kept my place leaning on the far counter. "But then again, I couldn't imagine you were alive…I mean…who would have thought…" I started to cry, and my shoulders shook at my weak attempt to hold back.

I covered my mouth, finally composing myself, and looked up at her through the tears coming down my face. "Do you know why I sent you to that God awful camp?"

She looked at me through the corner of her eye, and nodded. I wasn't expecting her to actually answer, but she did. "Because I was so God awful," she said bluntly.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

We were headed the wrong direction out of Forks, and I was beginning to get worried that Edward had forgotten how to read a map. But when he turned on my street…I saw red.

"What the fuck Edward! I'm not going to talk to him!" I reached for the handle of the car door to jump out, but we had already pulled up into my driveway, and there I was standing in the middle of it.

Edward came around to my side, and pointed towards the house. "You get up there, go apologize to your father, and if you don't…Bella I swear…"

"Okay, okay!" I shoved through him and walked up to the porch, but last minute I spun around to see Edward leaning on the car. "You're not coming?"

"No. I have nothing to apologize to _him_ for."

"Neither do I!" I argued back, but Edward gave me a look…

"Don't come out of there until you feel like the air is cleared," he crossed his arms, "Even if it takes all night."

I turned and knocked on the door, already contemplating taking the back door out, and ditching Edward's sorry ass. No…I was only kidding.

The door creaked open.

"Bella," Charlie said lowly. I slipped in through the door, avoiding his strong gaze. When he shut the door, he walked past me, already feeling the tension in the air, and headed for the kitchen. I followed lamely.

I noticed the bulletin board right away, which was completely full of pictures and newspaper clippings on me. It was a symbol of how much he had hoped, and probably how worried he had been for me…

"I never thought you were dead…" he said lowly.

_Sure._ A part of me wanted to say _SCREW YOU, YOU LIE!_ But the other part of me wanted to hear what he had to say, because for some reason I believed him. I knew Charlie had too much anger and was too cocky to look at the bigger picture. He'd wait for me to come home no matter what.

"But then again, I couldn't imagine you were alive…I mean…who would have thought…" he began to cry, and I cringed from the sound of him trying to keep it together. But he finally composed himself to ask the question on everyone's mind. "Do you know why I sent you to that God awful camp?"

I watched him from the corner of my eye, and I nodded. His shoulder sunk a little lower, and that's when I decided to admit the truth to him. "Because I was so God awful."

He laughed. He _actually_ laughed. And then he was crying.

I turned my gaze back to the fridge, and stared at the picture of myself; freshman year in high school. I looked absolutely pathetic. The way my hair looked, and the way I was grinning...it made me feel like I was staring into a stranger's eyes. Then again, I sort of was. Charlie snapped me out of my day dreaming with another question.

"Why?" he said simply.

I was shocked. I turned to look at him, careful not to let him see my eyes. "Why?" I repeated his question, and he nodded.

"Yes. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why'd you pretend you were dead? Why'd you run away from the camp? Why were you so difficult there? Why did you make me send you there as a last resort? Why did you start to act out? Why did you stop caring?" his voice was growing stronger as he went down the list, "I mean pick any one of them, and give me a piece of your mind!"

I tucked my hands into my pockets and stared at the floor. All the questions had one answer- _Edward_- but I wouldn't tell Charlie that.

"For the attention…which seems pathetic when I step back now…but it made perfect sense then and-"

"I don't blame you. I wasn't there when you needed me."

I blinked. Was Charlie owning up to something?

"I'm a terrible father."

I didn't deny it. He was…

"Well, I'm a terrible daughter. Guess we're even."

He chuckled at that, and even grinned. "I guess so," he sighed, and that's when the silence engulfed us, and there was nothing left but air- and it was definitely clear.

**-x-**

Edward was waiting outside, and I just wanted to get out of the house and leave already. But Charlie and I were at the awkward moment where neither of us knew what to say next, and I was left lingering at the door. That's when Charlie went in for the hug, and as I wrapped my arms around him…I saw the calendar pinned to the outside of a shelf.

I gasped.

"What is it?" he loosened his grip on me, and pulled back to look into my face. I ignored him, and backed up to the door.

"Oh nothing, I'm just surprised how fast time flys…" I nodded over towards the calendar, and Charlie nodded.

"Yeah well that's the only reason I'm not begging you to stay…I know now you like your space. That doesn't mean I agree with you seeing that boy-"

"Okay, okay. Thank you Dad, it's been good seeing you, I'll call you sometime soon," I opened the door quickly, and Charlie mumbled something about Edward under his breath, but I chose to ignore it. "See yah Dad."

"See you Bells," he closed the door behind me, but I knew he was still watching me from the window as I got into the car, and Edward drove off. I thought it was going to be difficult to tell him his daughter wasn't going to be living with him…but seeing how I was legal now…

"What's wrong?" Edward asked

_Oh I've just thought I'd be seventeen for the rest of my life…when apparently I'm not…_

"Nothing. Just thought he'd care a bit more that his daughter is ditching him again," I watched the trees fly by outside, and suddenly, they stood still in place. I turned to look at Edward, and he had stopped the car. His eyes were staring into my own.

"Have I told you that you're the most beautiful vampire I have ever seen?" he whispered, leaning across the center consul until he was only inches from my face. His breath was cold on my lips, and I smiled when they barely brushed my own.

"No you haven't…" I whispered into his lips. He closed the distance, and the kiss was soft, and delicate. I pulled back. "But I get that all the time from the all the guys, so it's not really that big a deal-" he growled, and threw himself into another kiss, which had me fighting to try and stay in my own seat.

"Bella," he finally ripped himself away from me, and I tried to remember if that was my name or not. _Yup__, it is_. "Please tell me what's wrong. I know you don't care if your father doesn't care you're ditching him."

He was right. I don't care.

"You're getting worked up over nothing, can we just go?" I pointed down the road, and he reluctantly hit the gas pedal, and we were speeding down the road again.

"Well anything that gets you worked up gets me worked up, so I just want to know-"

"I'm 18," I said in a frustrated tone. "I'm fucking 18."

His head snapped in my direction, and I could almost see the gears turning in his brain as he was recalling and counting the days and months of the year.

"Your birthday-"

"Was in September, on the day I disappeared from camp. Apparently I would have had the option to leave that day since I was an adult. Funny how things work out…" I mumbled.

He was still in a daze. "How could I not remember your birthday?"

I laughed. "Edward even _I_ forgot it. It's not that big of a deal."

"If it's not that big of a deal, why did you bring it up. Of course it's a big deal."

"It's not. I just wanted to spend eternity as a seventeen-year-old. It sounds so much cooler you know? Eighteen is so…I don't know…"

"Bella you're looking into this too much. It's a just an age."

_Sure._

**-x-**

"You need to slow down," I uncrossed my legs when I noticed the speed of the car going way too fast- even for me, and I'm a vampire.

He didn't adjust his speed to one that wouldn't get us pulled over, or thrown through the windshield. He was in an angry mood for some reason, and driving incredibly fast down the dark highway was somehow going to fix it.

"What's on your mind?" I nudged him with my elbow, and he sighed.

"Everything."

"Like what?" I pushed on.

"Just how I can't even remember my girlfriend's birthday."

I laughed, and that only increased the speed of the car. I gulped.

"Who says I'm your girlfriend?" I asked playfully.

"I do." He said blankly.

I guess he wasn't in a playful mood. There was no talking him out of his temper.

"Okay," I sighed, "but I wasn't when I turned 18. I was still at camp, and I was barely your friend."

"Bella, we were never friends," he looked at me through the corner of his eye, and he finally smirked.

"Too true," I leaned my head back on the seat, and crossed my arms. "But we are now. That's why I actually like you."

"Like?"

"Yeah. I like liking you. Love, pssh, but to like someone says a lot too."

Edward laughed. "You're crazy."

"Am not. It's true."

"Whatever Bella, you're just trying to distract me from remembering that I missed your birthday."

_Damn it._ "Am not."

He didn't say anything. He let the silence come in between us, and I looked away from his frustrated face, and furrowed eyebrow. It might have been minutes, or maybe hours until he finally spoke. "What do you want?"

I was caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"What do you want for your birthday? I'm still going to get you something."

"You don't _haaaave_ too…" I lied. Fucking right was he ever going to get me something.

"Bella stop. Just think of something, and it's yours. _I promise._" He pulled into a gas station off the highway, just as the gas light came on, and when he got out of the car to fill the tank, I really started to think hard.

I didn't really need stuff to make me happy. I just needed to be doing something, and living life the way I wanted to be happy. If I'm doing something I love, and have good company…I'm fine. Better than fine. But if Edward wanted to buy me something, fuck, I'm all in.

Edward went inside to pay for the gas after he finished filling the tank, and as I stared in his direction, my eyes caught a reflection from the glass doors of the station of the best form of transportation; a Kawasaki Ninja.

"Holy shit," I swore immediately, and ripped myself from the Porsche. I was only two feet in front of the bike and it's owner when I realized I had nothing cool to say. I just wanted a closer look. It was just automatic of me, and this bike deserved to be gawked over.

"Hello?" The guy, who probably owned the bike, was confused by my staring at the bike- especially seeing how I was a girl.

"Sorry," I laughed, "I think I'm in love with your bike."

The guy pulled his hand through his brown hair, and grinned. "Stare all you want. I don't mind at all." He was young, and very nice. For once, I was glad I had the good looks- people treated you nicer.

"It looks brand new," I stated the obvious. The tread on the tires was barely touched, the dirt on the bike was fresh, and it was in perfect condition.

"Sure is. I bought it yesterday. I wrecked my other one about a week ago, and it took everything in me not to go out and by another one that day."

"Oh my god, you sound just like me! I just wrecked my bike, and you know what, I think I'm going to buy another one," I told him, not that _I_ was going to be the one buying it…more like Edward…_speaking of Edward, where the hell is he?_

"Ahem," Edward cleared his throat behind me, and I spun around to see him standing tall, glaring at the guy beside me. _What a jealous fuck…_

"Edward, I'm just looking at this guy's bike. Isn't it nice?" I turned back to the bike, and Edward came to stand on the other side of me, and looped his arm around my waist. _How subtle…_

"Yeah, I see your girlfriend likes motorcycles, it's too bad she wrecked hers," the guy said. It didn't go unnoticed the way he threw the word girlfriend in there, just to see if I would deny it or not. I didn't have to, because Edward answered him.

"Yes. _My _girlfriend does like Motorcycles. But I guess it's for the best that hers is no longer in commission."

_Hell no. _"Umm nope. I think I found what you can get me for my birthday," I grinned when he turned his glare to me, but I ignored it, and turned my attention to the motorcycle owner. "Where did you get this bike?"

"Oh my uncle owns the shop across town. I can give you the address-"

"No I think we're good-" Edward tried to cut him off, but I cut Edward off instead.

"Yeah that would be great," I glared at Edward, and he tightened his hold on my waist when I took a step towards the guy who was now writing the address on a piece of paper for me. I shoved Edward's hands off of me, and took the paper from the guy.

"There you go. It should be open tomorrow. Just mention my name, and I'm sure they can work something out for you."

"What's your name?"

"Max"

"Just max." I said.

"Yup."

"Okay. Sweet, thanks man. I'm totally going there tomorrow. Oh my god…it's in Oregon." My eyes swept over the address again to see if I was reading this correctly. Sure enough, the word _Oregon_ glared back at me.

"That's because we're in Oregon."

I snapped my head up to stare into the boys confused eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes Bella. You don't pay attention to road signs do you? Now come on," Edward grabbed my elbow and began to tow me towards to car.

"Thanks Max. See you around," although I doubt I'd ever see him again.

"Yeah, good luck with the motorcycle," he nodded to me when I got into the passenger side of the car.

I couldn't help but grin when Edward pulled out of the gas station. I was going to get a new motorcycle- and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Bella you're not getting a motorcycle."

I laughed.

"Why do you want one so bad?" he pushed on.

"_Why do you want one so bad?_" I mocked his voice, and I heard him growl under his breath. "I'll let you answer that one for yourself."

"They're not that great."

"Pssh, you've obviously never owned one."

"No, I haven't."

"Well that's just pathetic," I crossed my arms, and peered down the road. I had an idea where we were, but I knew there was no way we were getting back on the highway. I needed a bike, and staying in this town was the only way I was going to get it. "Where are you taking us?"

"Well I can see you're going to be difficult. We can kick around here until morning, and then you can explain to me how the hell you're going to incorporate a motorcycle into our roadtrip."

"Are you asking me if you can ride bitch?"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. You wouldn't get it."

_**Two Streets over…**_

**Tracy's POV**

"Unfuckingbelievable," Logan whined, throwing her duffel bag onto the floor of the tiny apartment. "Is this a joke?"

It wasn't a joke. All three of us had turned 18 in the same month- and we were finally free from our parents. Moving out was the first carefree, and illogical move I had made- and I was regretting it so far. Maybe that's because I was moving in with the same twats I started off hating back at Camp Archstone.

Yes, Logan and Brooke were my roommates. None of us knew what we were doing. We just knew we all liked Oregon, and we all hated our old lives- moving in together was the next best thing, and apparently the cheapest.

"It's not that bad," Brooke stepped over Logan's duffel bag, and took three steps into the kitchen. She then took another three, and there was the living room, complete with a love seat, lawn chair, and old radio.

"Where's the TV? I thought this place had one, that's why we went for it," Logan walked into the living room, and crashed down into the love seat. I swear I saw a cloud of dust form.

"No, that was the other apartment, the one with separate bedrooms," Brooke said behind the muffled sound of opening drawers, and looking through the dirty fridge.

"I'm sorry? Did you just say we don't have separate bedrooms?" Logan stood up from the love seat, and glared at Brooke.

She shrugged. "Hey, if you wanted to make the decisions, you shouldn't have given me free reign."

We all walked over to the only other door in the apartment, and I did the honours of opening it. We all gasped at the unveiling of our new tight quarters.

"Brooke…" Logan stepped into the small confines first, "I'm going to kill you!"

I actually agreed with Logan for once. What was going through Brooke's head when she chose this apartment from the newspaper ad? There must not have been pictures…that's for sure.

"Bunk beds? We have bunk beds! It's fucking camp all over again!" Logan was in one of her full on rage moments, and we let her tear around our bedroom as we located the bathroom in the right hand corner of the room. It was even worse than the bedroom, so we shut the door so Logan wouldn't see it.

"Tracy, what do you think? You haven't said anything about it yet," Brooke nudged me with her arm, and Logan snapped around and had finally composed herself enough to remember to breathe.

"I…think it's perfect. Definitely us," I lied. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie, but it was half true. The smell reminded me of Logan, the tackiness of the bathroom was definitely Brooke, and the lonely feel it had was all me. It was…I guess…perfect for three, troubled teenagers.

"Just because you said that," Logan pointed a finger at me, "you're paying for the pizza."

I nodded. _Good going Tracy._

_**20 minutes later…**_

Logan told me if I didn't come back with more than one pizza, don't come back at all. That's why I was carrying two heavy pizza's carefully down the dark road, praying I didn't drop them; Logan would _love_ that.

But just as I was turning a corner, I felt like I was being watched. I knew I wasn't being paranoid either, because when I turned around, I swear the car coming down the road, about ten meters away, was slowing down.

_Fuck. _I quickened my pace, and prayed I didn't get mugged. Logan would kick me out for sure.

I began to panic when the car pulled up beside me, but I kept my head straight, and pretended I didn't notice it idling beside me. _Walk faster. Get a move on! _I swore in my head when I heard the passenger window lowering, and I knew the heckling from whatever asshole who owned the car was coming next. _Just ignore them._

But I did the opposite of that when I heard my name, as clear as day. I snapped my head around, and the girl said it again from inside the dark car. "Tracy? Is that you? What are you doing in Oregon?"

I squinted, and took a step closer to the edge of the sidewalk- and I bulked when I saw that the voice belonged to a face of my not so distant past.

"Bella?"

**

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A/N: Yes. I'm a lying whore. This wasn't the last chapter. I tried, but I couldn't do it. NEXT one will be. Hahah, gawd…how much longer can it get…fuck…haha

**Review and tell me what ya think is going down.**


	43. The Guy

**A/N: **I haven't had internet since last week because my dad took it away from me. I've been at my friend's house a couple times, so I saw some of the reviews from the last chapter, and I thank you guys. I responded to a few. But yah, sorry for the delay, but I got my internet back today. gawd...

**Refresher: **Bella and Edward see Tracy on the Street, walking alone.

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Chapter 43: The Guy

**Bella's POV**

I would recognize those hunched shoulders anywhere. The way this girl walked so insecurely down the road, and kept looking over her shoulder…it could only be Tracy.

"Edward, it's Tracy! Drive up!" I nudged him in the arm, and I didn't give him a chance to voice his opinion. "Hurry up, she's picking up her pace." He hit the gas a little harder. "Slow down, you're scaring her!" I could almost hear Edward rolling his eyes in his head, but I ignored him, and started rolling down my window.

"Tracy!" I yelled, and when she snapped her head around, I saw her scared doe eyes. She was still the Bambi girl I remembered. "Tracy? Is that you? What are you doing in Oregon?" _More like what am I doing in Oregon…_

She still couldn't see my face, but when she took a step closer, and squinted, I knew she could see it was me. She bulked suddenly, and I grinned up at her.

"Bella?" she asked hesitantly.

I laughed, "Yeah, and Edward. We're in town. What are you doing here?"

She was confused, and I wasn't sure if she had even heard about me being alive yet…_shit._

"Shouldn't you be staying low…I mean, you lied to the public…" she said lowly, "Logan said she spoke to you though." _Oh, that answers that. _Karen can't keep her fucking mouth shut.

I sighed. "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm on a road trip. Nowhere to go, really. Just heading through." I was glad she had heard about me, and I was glad to see her.

"Yeah well, you can come up to our place," she pointed down the road, and I peered in the direction of a few tall, old apartment buildings.

"_Our_ place?"

"Brooke and Logan live with me. I don't even know how it happened-" she rolled her eyes, and I was already laughing.

"Oh my god. Yes I would LOVE to come over and crash your place! Get in," I reached back and unlocked the door for her, still not used to automatic locks, and she opened the door hesitantly and slipped into the dark car.

I was smiling from ear to ear when Edward drove down the dark street. I wanted to see these girls. I missed them.

As for Edward…well he's going to have to suck it up for a few hours. Besides, he's lucky he's even along for the ride.

**-x-**

"Nope, that one's fuzzy too!" Logan yelled. "None of the stations work on here- no wait, go back! That one works."

I could already hear fucking Karen through the walls, and when Tracy unlocked the door to let us into the poorly lit apartment, I saw Brooke and Karen, sprawled out on the floor trying to tune an old looking radio.

"About fucking time, Tracy. What did you do, get lost-" Karen cut herself off when she turned her head and saw that Tracy wasn't alone.

"Look who was in town," Tracy walked nonchalantly over to the counter, and placed the Pizzas down.

"Bella…" both Brooke and Karen said simultaneously, but it was Brooke who bolted upright, and squished me into what I guess was a hug. Edward stared at me with a smug look on his face, and I cursed at him in my head.

"What the hell is going on here?" Karen stayed sitting on the floor, and stared at me like I was some kind of new invention that was completely pointless. "How random is this? What is this, like a Camp Archstone reunion- and you even brought the boyfriend. Ha! I told you Brooke! I knew they were more than just-"

"Will you shut up!" Brooke spun around to glare at Karen, who in return rolled her eyes and continued tinkering with the radio.

I could have laughed. Karen was Karen. Brooke was Brooke. And Tracy was Tracy. It was too perfect here, and I couldn't help thinking that if I hadn't ended up fucking my life up, I would never had had the chance to meet these girls- and that would be unfortunate.

"Karen, what are you doing?," I grabbed onto Edward's hand and pulled him over to the love seat _because we're in love_…I rolled my eyes just thinking how lame I was sounding in my head.

"Trying to find a decent frequency…" she turned to knob slightly to the left, and a muffled and somewhat clear song came on. "There, that's as good as it gets." She turned to look at me, "How about you?"

I cocked and eyebrow at her. "How about me what?" I had no idea what she was talking about. Did she mean I was as good as it was going to get?

"What are you doing?" she looked at me like an idiot. I felt Edward shift uncomfortably next to me, and try and muffle a chuckle.

"What am I doing….?"

"Yeah. Why are you in hiding? The games up. Everyone knows you're alive. And honestly, not too many care-"

"Logan!" Brooke glared at her, "Stop it, right now!"

"I'm not being mean, I'm just saying it's too bad you can't live a normal life. You're sort of being judged by society now."

It was true. I no longer had the respect from my town, not that I had it before, but I couldn't live there now. I had a face people knew, and they hated it.

"Do you judge me Logan?" I asked her seriously.

She shrugged and looked down at the radio, and started fiddling with it again. I was about to give up on an answer from her, but that's when Tracy stepped in and unexpectedly spoke up.

"Logan stop pretending you aren't glad to see her. You wouldn't shut up about her. You're just jealous about all the hype she's getting, and you know you'd never have the balls to pull it off," Tracy turned her back on us when she was done her side of the argument, and went into the small kitchen. We sat there stunned- expect for Karen.

"I'm not pretending anything. I was glued to the TV, only because I couldn't believe how crazy she was- sorry, _IS_. I don't judge you at all. I've been there."

"Been where?" I was getting frustrated. Why was I letting Karen get to me? I normally laughed off her stupid comments. But this time, they weren't stupid, and I knew it.

"In your shoes. Your family, friends, and people who don't even know you, are turning their backs on you," she shrugged again, and it bothered me how she was letting this slide off her chest so easily. "It's okay though. Because it's exactly what you need; you don't need or want people like that in your life.

_So true. _There's no point looking back at the people you think you need in your life; the ones that matter are usually right beside you.

I tilted my gaze to Edward, who was staring into space _next to me_.

"I'm not normal- whatever that is. I didn't have something to rebel against when I was growing up, and that created a pointless existence. Now that I've had my fun, I can't get away from it. It's fun not chasing after something in life, and instead, being chased after by life."

"Well according to our parents, none of us are normal. Just be lucky that we turned 18 and now we get to make the decisions. Imagine having to go back there…" Karen rolled her eyes at something she was thinking, and I became curious.

"Back where?"

"Camp Archstone."

"It's closed down though."

"Yeah. But the residents were all moved over to it's sister camp, called Camp Origin. It's only a couple miles past Camp Archstone. It's still in Oregon, so it's pretty much the same shit."

I stared at the far wall of the room, in a daze at what she was saying. I would have killed myself before transferring over to another camp…

"Yeah the parents got a choice. It was either take your kids back, or transfer. Some chose to transfer, others chose to take them back."

I had no idea. It would absolutely suck to have one of those asshole parents making you move to another camp. Jake was lucky to have Billy. He got him out of there quick. But then I remembered a resident who hopefully wasn't as lucky.

"Hatcher? What happened to her?"

Tracy and Brooke both laughed before Karen could even spill the beans. "She's at Camp Origin." Karen grinned hugely, "But she'll be out soon, I'm sure."

I laughed. Hatcher deserved every minute of it. "Good."

Brooke grinned. "Fuck yeah. But jeez, can we get on a lighter topic. You guys are killing me-"

I cut her off. My motorcycle came to mind all the sudden. "I'm getting a motorcycle."

"No you're not."

I had forgotten Edward was even in the room, and I didn't need to look at his face to know that he was staring a hole into the side of my head.

"Yes I am. It's going to be the shit. I'm stoked." I stood up and tried to explain my vision of the perfect bike, but Edward grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back down beside him.

"She's really not. We can't afford it, and it's not very good for traveling-" he tried to turn me away from the idea, but Karen barked in before I could comment on the '_can't afford it'_ comment.

"What are you, her Dad?" Karen blurted out.

I tilted my head to the floor to keep from smirking. I had asked Edward that once when I was at camp…and it had ticked him off…

"No. _Clearly_…" he snaked an arm over my shoulders, and I cringed at what form of argument was coming. "I'm just saying how inconvenient they are."

"Okay Dad," Karen laughed. "Bella, how long is that leash he has you on? Pretty short by the looks of it-"

I cut her off with my laughter, and I could hear a growl forming in the pit of Edward's stomach. Maybe Karen had gone too far…but it was funny.

"I think Bella and Edward are good together," Tracy looked at the ground when she said this quietly, and I saw Edward relax a little, and slightly smile.

"I don't know…he's kinda overprotective by the looks of it," Karen eyed the way he had moved his arm from my shoulder to my waist, clutching me to his side. Edward was bothered my Karen's remarks, and he couldn't keep quiet.

"I have good reason. She's wild!" he argued with Karen who rolled her eyes. I jabbed Edward in the ribs when no one was looking.

"You don't know the wild Bella. You should have seen her when you left camp. She totally lost it." Brooke gave Karen a look, and Karen nodded in agreement.

I cringed. I had lost it. It was him leaving me all over again, and I hadn't recognized it before, but it was just triggering me to act out even more so that he would return.

Edward stayed stiff at my side. He didn't ask what the girls were talking about because I'm sure he was taking it in through their memories, which probably was much worse…

"Anyway, now that we're done talking about me….what are you bitches up to tonight?"

Tracy shrugged. "The usual."

"What's the usual?"

"Absolutely nothing," Karen and Brooke said simultaneously.

I nodded. "I love doing nothing."

"Please join us then," Karen said lamely, and if I'm feeling nice, I might let you have a piece of pizza. Not your boyfriend though, he's getting on my nerves."

I laughed. _I'm sure you're getting on his too bud…_

**-x-**

"Edward, you awake" I jokingly whispered over to him.

He didn't respond.

_Damn it. _He was still being difficult.

The girls had gone to bed a couple of hours ago, leaving us to "sleep" on the floor in the tiny living room. What could have been a fun setup ended up with us lying in a bunch of blankets…with a fuck load of silence.

Edward didn't want to come here in the first place, and he didn't like that Karen was stuffing the idea of me getting a motorcycle down my throat. Actually, I think he just hated Karen still. He really does hold grudges.

I flipped over onto my back, and tilted my head towards him. He had his eyes closed, and was doing an alright job of ignoring me.

"Ugh!" I huffed loudly and stood up from our makeshift bed. The outside was calling to me, so that's where I went. I crept over to the old sliding door, which creaked loudly when I slid it open, but I was able to slip through the smallest space possible.

The night air hit me like a pile of bricks to the face. I grabbed onto the flimsy railing, and let the breeze ride up under my shirt, and over my skin. I leaned my body over the railing, and stared at the miles long drop.

This saddened me. I felt depressed at what I was seeing. I wasn't intimidated by the fall; never again will I be frightened by a height.

I sighed. I missed the adrenaline rush of fear…

My thoughts were clicked off from my moment long pity party by two familiar hands sliding over my hips, and linking together at the pit of my stomach.

I gasped when the wind lifted my shirt, which the hands took advantage of and slid their way onto my cool skin.

"Bella…" Edward's lips were at my ear, and I leaned in closer so I could feel them pressed into my hair. He tightened his arms, and pressed my back against his chest, yet I still wouldn't loosen my hold on the railing.

Edward noticed, and slowly pulled his hands from under my shirt, and snaked them down my arms. His hands covered my own, and his body stayed hunched over mine. I let his fingers interlock with mine, and when my grip was removed from the railing, he took one of my hands and placed it across my waist, and the other he raised to his face. I smiled lamely when he kissed my palm.

That's when my eyes shot wide open at the realization that I was loosing. I was letting him dazzle me out of the tension between the two of us…and I couldn't let that happen.

I ripped my hand away from his face, and went to spin out of his grip from around my waist- but he was quicker and stronger at the moment. He grabbed onto my wrists, and when I tried to pull away from him again, he spun me quickly the other side of the balcony, and pressed me hard against the outside of the building. I tried to twist my wrists from out of his tight hands, but he then raised them so that they were pressed against the wall above my head.

I didn't have a chance at getting away from him now. I could feel every contour of his body pressed up against mine, and his face was an inch from mine, glaring daggers into my eyes.

That's when an idea came to me. _You're not the only one who knows how to dazzle, Edward…_

I crushed his lips with my own, and I knew I had caught him off guard when I felt him take in a jagged breath through his nose. I watched as his eyes closed, and I knew I was winning when I felt his hands loosen from around my wrists, and find a new grip in my hair. But just as I opened my mouth to taught him over the edge…he ripped himself off of me. It ended too soon.

Both of us were breathing heavy, and staring deep into each others eyes. I stayed with my back to the wall as he paced the balcony. He looked like he was fighting with himself to say something. He finally let it out.

"You're a vampire…" he covered his face with his hands, and took a step closer to me. I didn't know what to say to him. Was he just figuring this out…? He pulled his hands away from his distraught face, and came back to stand an inch away from me. "I'm sorry."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. _I win!_

"Don't look at me like that. You know I treat you like I own you," he was beginning to get serious, and I didn't like that side of him.

"Will you shut up?" I covered his mouth with my hand, and he stared at me from his dark eyes. "I don't care how you act because that's just you. Just let me deal with it, okay? If I don't like it, I'll run away, and I'm sure you'll chase me." I removed my hand from his mouth when I felt him grinning beneath it, and before I knew it, we were back where we left off, with him shoving me against the wall, and my lips tearing his apart.

**-x-**

_**The Next Morning.**_

It was difficult to say goodbye to the girls. But I couldn't just sneak out and leave them without saying anything. They knew deep down I couldn't stay with them, and I knew Karen wasn't all that fond of Edward anyway.

"You chicks know my cell eh!" I yelled up to them from the side street.

"Yes, we got it!" Brooke yelled from the balcony. She threw both her hands up to wave at me as I got into the Porsche, while Karen and Tracy rolled their eyes at how lame she looked.

I was barely in the car before Edward sped off down the street.

"Jesus Christ, let me close the door at least," I slammed the door shut, and glared at him. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

"No. But there is such thing as over staying your welcome."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh don't give me that."

"_Don't give me that_," he mocked my voice perfectly, "Well I know one thing _you_ didn't give _me…_your cell phone number. I want it."

I laughed. "No way in hell."

"Bella."

"Edward."

"Fine. I'll just get you a new cell phone."

"Fine. And I'll just pretend it doesn't exist."

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and the speed of the car increased.

"Wow. I feel like the tension in the air is pretty thick. Nothing like some road tunes to clear it," I flicked on the radio, and old country hits came on, "Oh sweet!" I turned the knob up and bobbed my head to a classic Johnny Cash song.

Edward ignored me. He was fuming over the fact that we were following Max's directions.

I had won him over, and he was getting me the damn bike. He wasn't happy about it, but he was so irritated by what Karen had said to him that he finally caved in.

I grinned out the window when I saw the shop off the corner of the dirt road, and when we pulled into the shop, an old dog stood up from its resting place and started barking.

"Lovely," I got out of the car and stared at the dump. It was dirty, and had several pieces of shit bikes outside, collecting dirt and grime. I cringed to think what was on the inside.

"You wanted to come here, so don't-"

"I didn't say I was backing out. I think it's rustic," I shut the car door, and just as I was debating on kicking the dog to shut him up, a man's voice from the garage started yelling.

"Shut it Josh!" a man yelled from the inside of the garage. He then came out of nowhere, and started cursing at the dog to be quiet. "Damn mutt!" he was about to turn to go back into the garage when he caught a glimpse of the shiny yellow Porsche. He spun around and tried to hold his jaw up.

"Hi there," I said lamely, taking a step towards him. He nodded over at me, and his eyes lingered on me longer than they had on the car. Edward suddenly came up beside me protectively and made his presence known.

"Are you Max's uncle?" Edward asked firmly.

The man snapped out of his gazing. "Oh, no. I'm Bill. You're looking for-"

The dog cut off Bill with his barking, which only made Bill start cursing at the dog some more.

"Bill, leave poor old Josh alone. He's not bothering anyone," another man said from the garage. I snapped my head towards the man's voice, and when he came out of hiding, I grinned hugely. I knew I had recognized it.

The man stopped in his place when he saw me standing next to Edward. He even blinked and took a step back, but he pulled himself together enough to speak.

"Bella," he said my name lowly and took a step carefully towards Edward and I.

I nodded. "Hi Guy," I was still grinning, and I couldn't wrap my mind around how small the world truly was. How the hell was he here? "What are you doing at a motorcycle shop?"

Guy cocked an eyebrow at me. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Oh just in town, and thought I'd pick up a new bike."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You're Max's friend? The one who wanted the bike?"

Edward butted in. "Well not his friend. We just met him through our travels, and he told us to come here for the best bikes."

Guy nodded. "This is still…" he couldn't find a word.

"Random," Edward finished for him, and I hissed under my breath at him.

"Yes," Guy nodded, "I've seen you on the news Bella."

"Yeah who hasn't," Edward's temper had returned, "Now where's this bike we can look at?"

Guy chuckled at Edward's rudeness, "Follow me," he said blankly, and when Guy turned around to lead us into the shop, I kicked Edward hard in the shin.

"Stop being an ass," I shoved past Edward and followed Guy into the garage. I gasped when I saw the bikes.

I had been wrong about this dump. On the inside the shop was kept clean and tidy, with organized bike accessories hung on the walls, and brand new bike helmets placed on shelves. The best part was the bikes. Over 20 different bikes, ranging from different styles and colors, were parked at the center of the shop.

I covered my mouth to keep from screaming like a little girl.

"What make are you interested in?" Guy asked.

"That one," I pointed at the Ninja in the corner…a bright green one. My mouth dropped as I got closer to it, and when I slid onto the black seat of it, I couldn't help but squeal lamely. "This is it! I can't believe it!"

"Either can I," Edward shook his head in disbelief, "Guy, much to my dismay…we will be purchasing the green Kawasaki Ninja."

Guy stared at me. "Just like that? You don't want to look around-"

"Psst. Look around for what? I found my bike. I want it," I jumped off the bike and stood next to Edward, who tried to ignore my doe eyes.

"Yup, were taking it." Edward said blankly.

I smiled when Guy nodded and when he ducked into an office out back, I grabbed Edward around the waist and crushed him to my body. "Thank you, it's the most perfect bike I have ever seen."

He rolled his eyes. "If you say so…" he smiled when I couldn't conceal my excitement, and then leaned in to lightly kiss my lips.

"Edward I might even teach you to ride it someday," I told him, even though I doubt I'd ever let him near it. "But I'm not making any promises."

Edward chuckled lightly. "Who says I don't already know how to drive one?"

I raised my hand. "I do."

"We'll see about that."

"Yes. We will."

**-x-**

"That's everything," Guy shook Edward's hand, and I rolled my eyes. Boy's loved looking professional and shaking hands for some reason. Guy turned his attention to me and nodded at the Porsche I was sitting on. "Careful Bella, you might scrape the paint the way you're sitting on the hood. It would be quite a shame."

I laughed. "I don't care if I scrape it. It's not mine."

"Oh. Did you steal it during your vacation away from the camp?" Guy asked.

A growl built up in Edward's chest, but I spoke up before he could explode. Guy was just being Guy.

"No, I actually didn't. It's his sisters," I nodded towards Edward, "But can I ask you a question since we're done avoiding the Archstone situation?"

Guy shrugged.

"What the hell happened to it, and how are you here?"

Guy covered the back of his neck with his palm, and took a deep breath in. "It closed down, obviously…"

I gave him a look that told him I wasn't a dumbass, and to keep on going with the talking.

"Well, what do you want to know?" he chuckled, "I can tell you about myself. I'm here because it's a hobby, and I have always liked motorcycles."

"What happened to Larry?"

Guy eyed me curiously, but he caved. "He's no longer working at any camps…thankfully."

I nodded.

"I believe he is in hiding, or at least that's what I've heard. No one's seen him around- not that we care."

"He better stay in hiding," Edward hissed. I was touched by how upset Larry made Edward. It was something we had in common.

"Larry will be the least of your problems if you don't get off my Porsche this second!" a high pitched voice said from the other side of the car.

Edward ripped me off the hood before the little vampire could throw me off of her car.

"Alice?" I grinned at the pissed expression on her face.

"Bella…you scratched my _Porsche…_" her eyes glared at a very small mark on the hood, and then her eyes locked with mine.

"Sorry?" I smiled. She wasn't smiling.

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A/N: I can't believe this...it's still not over. gawd...hahaa

**-x-**


	44. Spur of the Moment

**Refresher: **Bella has scratched Alice's Porsche.

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Chapter 44: Spur of the Moment

**BPOV**

"_Sorry?" I smiled. She wasn't smiling._

"If I had of known you were going to ruin my car-"

"Relax Alice, it's hardly ruined," I leaned in to see the damage, "I mean, it's barely a scratch."

Alice held out her hand. "Keys. Now."

"I'm sorry?" I chuckled. "What do you expect Edward to drive?"

Edward cleared his throat, but Alice wouldn't let him cut in.

"I saw that you guys will be heading to Alaska, I simply came to get my car, and I'll see you there."

I shook my head, "Yeah but you didn't answer my-"

"He's with you," she caught the set of keys that were suddenly thrown over my head. "Have fun you two," she spun around and got into her Porsche. I wasn't going to let her leave that easy. When she started the engine, I stepped in front of the car.

"Bella don't be dramatic," Edward was being Edward, so I ignored him. I kept eye contact with Alice. She revved her engine at me, but I didn't move. "She'll hit you, Bella."

I sighed and stepped out of the way. Alice didn't waste any time, and sped out of the small parking lot. I was left standing in the dust, pissed at the fact that I had a new riding partner.

"Well, here's another helmet. It's on me," Guy handed Edward a black helmet like mine, and I tried not to burst at the seams.

"Thank you Guy, that's very nice of you. Thanks for everything," Edward shook his hand one last time, and Guy nodded at me, and I rolled my eyes at him. He left the two of us to the one bike.

"Let's go then," Edward started to walk over to my bike, so I shoved through him, and jumped onto it before he could. He chuckled, already knowing I wouldn't allow him to drive, and got onto the back.

I shoved my helmet on at the same time he did, and when I started the bike, I couldn't help but smile. It sounded so good, and it was loud- just the way I liked it. I revved the engine, and pulled out of the parking lot quickly.

Edward grunted, surprised by the speed, and clutched onto my waist to stay on. I chuckled to myself.

"Where to lover boy?" I asked over the engine. Although, Alice had already blown the surprise.

"I was thinking Alaska…maybe you wouldn't mind if we went there for a bit-"

"I don't care, I'll go."

Edward tightened his hold on me, and the way his hands traveled over my stomach almost put us in the ditch.

I swallowed the lust forming in my throat, and shook my head from the thoughts I shouldn't be having while I was driving down a highway. We'd save them for later.

**-x-**

_**A few days later…**_

"Are you going to let me drive anytime soon?" Edward leaned on the bike while I filled it up with gas.

We had been driving aimlessly for a few days, not in a rush to get to Alaska. It was fun to just chill out and travel a bit. Anytime we stopped to fill up the tank, Edward would ask me when it was his turn to drive. I found it hilarious that he even thought he had a chance.

"Come on Bella, answer me. I'm a better driver than you."

I turned my head to him and smirked. "Not a better driver…a safer driver, sure…but not better...and you're not fun."

I stopped filling the tank when the gas clutch tightened, and I removed the pump, and eyed Edward. He had his arms crossed, and was looking serious.

"What's with you?" I asked, trying not to laugh at his stance.

"I want to drive for once."

I sighed and looked around at the deserted parking lot. It was two in the morning, completely dark out, without any people around- except the cashier in the station.

I grinned at my plan for him. "Fine. You can drive," I dangled the keys in front of him, but pulled them away at the last minute before he could swipe them from me, "but you have to get on the bike right now, and leave without paying the gas."

Edward laughed. "No, that's childish. I'm paying for the gas-"

"Fine. Enjoy riding bitch, bitch."

"What does that even mea-"

"Fine. You're a wuss. I'll just go pay for the gas myself," I turned away from him and went into the station to pay. I watched Edward from the windows, and saw that he had gotten onto the bike, and left some space for me in the back. _Oh bud, don't even try…_

I turned to face the cashier, and when my eyes came in contact with this man's, I gasped.

"Small world," he said.

I was speechless, but I was able to find it in me to point and laugh at the dishevelled looking man. "Larry…" I was grinning hugely, but he just stared at me with a scowl, and angry, bushy eyebrows.

"You were the reason my camp closed," he started to walk around the counter. I tried to hold back from laughing at his clothes. He still had the navy shirt… "You ruined my life-"

"Correction. YOU ruined your life. It was bound to happen, and honestly, this is a really nice gig you got going on here," I held up my hands and pointed around the crappy gas station.

He took a step closer to me, and I crossed my arms. "Take one step closer to me Larry. I dare you."

"What are you going to do? Punch me?" he took a step closer, and cocked his eyebrow at me.

I grinned when I heard the gas station door slam open, and the vampire shoving me out of the way, and punching Larry to the ground.

I chuckled. "No. But he will…apparently." I looked down at Larry's bloody nose, and the scowl on his face was erased, and was now covered with fear. Edward had that effect on people.

"Come on Edward," I grabbed onto Edward's hand, and tried to yank him towards the door, but he wouldn't budge. He kicked Larry in the stomach, and when Larry swore, he kicked him again. "Okay, I think you got him-"

Edward turned and glared at me. I glared back. "Come on, let's go. You don't need to kill him to prove something-"

He turned and left the gas station before I could finish. I followed him out, and when he took a seat on the front of the motorcycle, I shook my head. But apparently, Edward wasn't in a fun mood.

"Bella, don't start," he held out his hands for the keys, "give me the damn keys."

I rolled my eyes, and tossed him the keys. "You're an ass."

He ignored my comment and threw on his helmet, and chucked me mine. I wanted to throw it back at him, but since he was in control of my bike at the moment, I decided not to. Last thing my bike needed was a scratch.

"I hate you right now," I told him as I slid onto the bike. He revved the engine, and pulled out of the gas station.

I grinned to myself when I realized, in a way, he sort of took my offer. He was driving, and we definitely didn't pay for the gas.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his solid waist. I felt him exhale, and I knew he liked being this close to me.

**-x-**

**Edward's POV**

_**Morning.**_

We had stopped on the side of a random highway. Bella begged me to, and flew off the bike the moment I slowed down.

I was now watching her in the heat of the afternoon, in a location that felt like the desert- only with steep mountains around us, and cliffs that would do damage to even a vampire.

I had no idea of her intentions, but when an oncoming motorcycle suddenly came around the bend, and Bella stepped in front of it, my body reacted and I slammed into her, and both of us were thrown to the side of the road.

"What the hell was that?" I shook her shoulders, and ripped her helmet away from her head. My glare into her gold eyes didn't do anything for her. She shoved me off of her, and jogged over to the motorcycle that was now stopped on the side of the road, observing us.

I had no idea what was going on.

The motorist removed his helmet, and that's when I saw that he wasn't a he at all.

**-x-**

**Bella's POV**

I had gotten a text out of the blue, and that's how I knew what was headed my way.

I practically jumped off my motorcycle before Edward could stop it completely, and I was grinning under my helmet as I walked into the middle of the road, already hearing the roar of the motorcycle I knew that was heading this way.

Edward freaked though; I should have known. Even before I could jump out of the way at the last minute to scare the other motorist, Edward had slammed into me, throwing me across the road with him on top of me.

"What the hell was that?" he shook my shoulders, and ripped my helmet off my head. I stared back into his glare, but I wasn't intimidated by him. I simply shoved him off of me, and jogged over to my bud.

I grinned when I saw her remove her helmet, and her dark brown, wild, messy curls fell out of it.

"Jenny!" I yelped, slamming into her and giving her a hug. She swore, and pulled herself out of it.

"Bella I was trying to aim for you, but your boyfriend messed it up," she eyed Edward, who was making his way over towards us, with a confused look on his face. I sighed.

"Yeah, he does that- a lot."

"Bella," Edward came up behind me, and linked his fingers with my own. "Who's this?"

Jenny chuckled. "You haven't told him about me? Bella Swan, I knew I should have left you to die-"

"Excuse me?" Edward's voice was getting impatient, and Jenny looked at me with a smirk.

"Bella you really didn't tell the poor boy anything did you?"

I nodded. "Shut up Jenny," I turned to face Edward, but his eyes were fixed on Jenny. "Edward this is Jenny…she was the one that got away from camp a long time ago…" I looked back at Jenny, and she was staring at Edward, obviously not impressed with his staring.

Edward finally spoke up. "What does this have to do with saving your life?"

I hesitated. "Well…she's a vampire obviously, and well…she was the one who found me…and umm…so she kinda…" I stopped talking when Edward's clench on my hand tightened, and his voice overpowered mine.

"You're the vampire that changed her!"

Jenny flinched from his volume, but she didn't back away. "Yeah I did. You're welcome."

Edward suddenly stiffened, and I knew that could only be from one thing.

**Edward's POV**

My breath caught when Jenny started replaying images of Bella's lifeless body pinned at the bottom of the river. I wanted to stop watching the images flash across Jenny's mind, but I had to see what happened to her. I cringed when Jenny replayed how she had popped Bella's shoulder out of place to unpin her between two rocks, but the worst image was the sight of Bella's blue skin, and bloody face.

"You can stop," I told the vampire through a clenched jaw. "I get it."

Jenny nodded, and looked at Bella, who was stiff at my side. "I don't think you're boyfriend knows how he should be grateful for you being a vampire-" I cut her off with a growl.

"That isn't true…" I hissed, and Jenny shut her mouth and held up her palms.

"I'm just saying," she turned to look at Bella, "Anyway, I'm headed over the boarder. Canada was fun, remember? You should come."

The fact that she was just looking at Bella when she said this didn't go unnoticed.

Bella hesitated. "Ahhh…sorry dude, I think I found where I'm headed." Bella tightened her hold on my hand, and I relaxed a little.

Jenny nodded. "I see, well good luck bud. And don't go getting into trouble- at least not without me."

Bella laughed. "I promise. Besides, this one here is no fun," she flicked my shoulder, and I held back a smile.

Jenny grinned. "See ya Bella," she hopped back onto her motorcycle, and that's when I swallowed my pride and spoke up.

"Jenny."

She turned and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Thank you for…" I turned to look at Bella, "for getting her back to me."

Jenny nodded. "Not an easy thing to do my friend," she revved her engine to life, "That one you got there is a full time job."

Bella swore at her under her breath, and I pulled her closer to my side. We watched together as this Jenny girl sped off into the distance, going too fast for such dangerously high and curvy roads. Bella must have picked that up from her.

**Bella's POV**

Jenny's bike disappeared into the distance, and then I was left with the annoying vampire at my side. But even though I found him annoying, and controlling, and well…annoying, I still couldn't keep my hands off of him.

I trailed my hands lightly up his arm until I saw him grin.

"What are you doing?" he asked lowly. I decided to show him.

I leaned into him and kissed his unsuspecting lips, and yanked on his coat for him to come closer to me. He did.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me into him until not even a dime could slide in between us.

I stopped it too soon, just to annoy him, and watched his questioning look.

"Bella…' he whispered, "what's on your mind?"

As much as I hated him asking that question, I loved that I taunted him enough to ask. But I would never tell him the exact details of my private mind, because if I have learned one thing through the wild adventures of what is my life, it's that not even I know what I'm thinking. It's called spur of the moment- it's a motto.

I grinned mischievously at him, and pulled him in to ask the question tearing at my insides, begging for it's release.

"Edward,' I whispered, leaning into him so that my lips lightly brushed his. His breath was jagged, and I smiled, knowing that I was cruelly tempting him. "Ever heard of a little game called 'let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-here'?"

**-x-**

**THE FUCKING END**

**-x-**

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A/N:

Yes this is the end. No, there won't be a sequel. This story is done. Past done. Done like dinner.

To the readers: thanks for reading.

To the fans: thanks for reviewing and faving. I love you guys. A few of you have been funny with the reviews, and I enjoy reading the good ones. Thanks for keeping me grinning.

**On another note…**

If you have not added me to author alert, I suggest you do…you don't want to miss out...


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